The Children of Mirkwood
by jennzah
Summary: co written with my friend chelle. legolas before the fellowship.


**disclaimer : All characters in this story belong to J.R.R Tolkien, except for the elf Jairah and the Istari Narendil. Thanks!**  
  
  
  
Legolas Greenleaf knew he'd reached the outer borders of his father's kingdom when he could see the magick gates in the distance. They were already opening for him, they knew he was coming.  
  
It had been several years, though they'd passed by like minutes for the young prince, who'd left to seek his hearts desire of adventure and travel through the large forest realm of Mirkwood, beyond his father's expansive gates. And adventures he'd had, and wonders he'd seen. But now the time had come for him to return.  
  
He pushed his horse faster, and rode through the gates at breakneck speed and galloped through the woods beyond the gate towards the castle. He was eager to see his father.  
  
He slowed the horse though, when something caught his eye, off to his left. A small gathering of elves were collected in the grove, and he stopped the horse to investigate.  
  
Three of his cousins, it looked to be, were fauning around a small elf maiden, instructing her on how to use her bow and arrow more effectively. She seemed to not be listening to them, focusing her aim on a makeshift target that had been attached to a tree far in the distance.  
  
Legolas dismounted from the horse, and walked quietly up to watch. His cousins seemed eager to please the girl, Legolas couldn't see her clearly. Her back was to him, all he could see of her was the crown of her head, and the long strawberry blonde hair flowing down her back. She seemed familiar to him, though, in feeling, but he couldn't place her.  
  
She took aim, and shot fast. The arrow hit the target, narrowly missing the center. She lowered the bow slowly and relaxed her arm.  
  
"Wonderful!" one of his cousins said to her. "I do say you are getting better every time we practise, Jairah," he touched her arm lightly.  
  
Legolas laughed to himself. He knew that name. He stepped out of the shadows of the trees.  
  
"She was a miserable shot when i left," he said, startling his cousins, making the one who touched Jairah retract his hand.  
  
"Legolas!" his cousin said, reaching out to shake his hand. "You have returned!"  
  
Legolas shook his cousin's hand back, but his eyes were fixed on Jairah. "Yes, i have."  
  
Her eyes were fixed right back on him, and there was an intensity in them now. The last time he'd seen her, she'd been but a child, ten years perhaps had passed since he'd left on his travels. Now she was fair, her eyes a bright amber, burning into his own. It felt like she was staring right through him, as he came up to her now.  
  
"Jairah," he said, "How nice to see that you have not neglected your archery lessons while i have been away. But i do say that your aim has not improved any." He smiled at her, he was teasing her and he knew it.  
  
She looked at him. "If my aim has suffered, Master Legolas, it is because i had a poor teacher to begin with," she said. "and one who left to pursue adventure." She stepped away from him.  
  
Legolas motioned to his cousins to take his horse up to the castle, then followed Jairah as she walked through the grove towards a small thicket of trees.  
  
"I cannot say that i am not disappointed, Lady Jairah," he said, chiding her. He didn't know why he felt the need to tease her, only that he wanted to keep on speaking with her. "How could you protect my father if your aim is not good? You owe your life to him."  
  
Jairah stopped and looked at Legolas. "For someone who has been gone for quite some time, Legolas, you are full of words. My aim is fine. And your father is well capable enough of protecting himself, though i could protect him with perfect accuracy."  
  
"That i doubt, Jairah," he said, knowing he didn't mean it. "You could not even hit the target dead on. How could you hit an enemy? My father would be dead before you could shoot an assailant."  
  
She had begun to walk again. "Surely you have not returned simply to criticise my archery skills, Legolas. Why do you not go see your father? I'm sure he will be happy to see you."  
  
"I fear for his saftey, Jairah. How come you have not strived to protect him all these years while i have been away? You are like his daughter, you know that? You lost your own father. Your archery skills should have been perfected!"  
  
"I could shoot you, if i wanted," Jairah whispered, but Legolas heard her.  
  
"What did i hear you say?" he said, his eyes twinkling behind her back. He'd made her mad, it was what he'd wanted, though he didnt know why.  
  
Jairah didnt respond, just kept walking further into the trees, untill she was out of sight. Legolas laughed to himself.  
  
"You could not hit me if i was standing right in front of you!" he called into the trees.  
  
He did not see the arrow come out of the trees and hit him, straight, in the right shoulder and knock him off his feet. It had happened so fast that he had not felt the arrow even pierce his skin.  
  
Jairah came running back from the trees, a horrified expression on her face, as she looked at Legolas, sittting on the ground, the arrow protruding from his shoulder. She hadn't meant to hit him, only make the arrow miss him, narrowly. But something made her aim straight for him, and connect. And now he was wounded.  
  
Legolas looked up at her, stunned. He didnt believe that she'd shot him. Neither one of them spoke, he looked up at her with the stunned expression, and she looked down on him with her horrified one.  
  
Hot pain began to boil around the wound, and Legolas winced as it did. Jairah's horror turned to worry and she bent down next to him and dropped her bow.  
  
"Here," she said, moving towards him, to the arrow. "Let me look at it."  
  
She knelt down next to him, and put one hand on his shoulder, next to the wound. He winced again as she touched him. She cursed herself internally for shooting him. How would she explain this to Thranduil? His son, not even home for an hour, and already he'd been wounded. And by her, no less? Thranduil had been so kind to her, taking her in, and acting as her father for so many years, doting on her. He would not like it if he found out that she'd shot his only son with an arrow, and the wound, while not life- threatening, was still deep. She must heal him before Thranduil found out.  
  
She rose to her feet and held out her hand. "Come!" she said, grasping his hand in hers, and pulling him up. She collected her bow with her free hand and started leading him towards the castle, to where her rooms were. She would have to hide him untill he was healed. It would take a few days.  
  
Quickly, and quietly, she led him into the castle, whispering the magickal words for the stairs to lead her directly to where she dwelt, high up in the trees. It was remote, where she stayed, she preferred it that way, and especially now, when she didn't want anyone to know what she'd done.  
  
The pain had taken Legolas' wits from him, and he'd allowed Jairah to lead him to this room. She dropped her quiver, and her bow, and pushed him down, to sit on her bed. She stepped away from him and looked at the wound.  
  
The arrow was still sticking out of his shoulder, embedded about five inches into his flesh. She knew she had to pull it out of his shoulder, so she stepped forward and in one fluid, fast motion, pulled it out, and he yelped as she did so, blood coming out of his shoulder. She pressed her hand on the wound to slow the bleeding. She took his hand from him and pressed it to the wound.  
  
"You must hold your hand here," she instructed him, for she needed to retrieve athalas, it would aid her in healing. She turned to go away from him, but he clasped his other hand over her hand that still remained pressed over his hand that covered the wound.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, a glint of a tear in his eyes, possibly from the pain. "I am sorry, that I teased you."  
  
Jairah sighed. "Now is not the time for apologies, Legolas. Please, let me go, so that I may take care of you. Keep your hand tight over that wound untill I return!" She pulled her hand gently away from him, covered in his blood. He sat, clutching his shoulder, and remained silent. She looked at him one last moment, the broken prince, and felt a sadness in her heart, and regret for what she'd done. Then she shook herself and turned and ran out of the room, bound for the forest again, to where the athalas grew.  
  
Careful that she wasn't seen, she ran silently to the patch closest to the castle, which was quite a ways into the forest, unluckily for her. She cut a thick sheaf of the plant quickly and turned to run back towards the castle, and on the way ran into Legolas' cousins, the same ones who were "teaching" her how to use the bow and arrow earlier. She had forgotten that they had seen Legolas and could tell Thranduil that he had reached the castle.  
  
"Jairah!" one of them said, a smile on his face. "Where are you off to in such a hurry?" He reached out to push some of her hair out of her face.  
  
She winced a little at his touch. Legolas' cousins, especially these three, were all a bit smitten with her, though she was not with them. They all vied for her attentions, and she let their imaginations run wild, though she did not entertain any of them. It was said that people had begun to talk about Jairah, and why she had not fallen in love with any of them. But Jairah paid no attention, and knew that her heart belonged to her and she would give it to who she chose. It would not be one of Legolas' cousins, though they were handsome and for the most part nice. She did not love any of them.  
  
"I am in no hurry," she said, brushing him aside, the one who had touched her. "I am on my way home, though, as you should be as well."  
  
"Has Legolas gone to see his father?" another wanted to know.  
  
Jairah stopped. "I do not know." She replied. "He seemed to have to go somewhere, to have forgotten something. He said he would return in a few days time. You did not speak with your uncle about seeing Legolas, did you?" she asked, looking at each of them in turn.  
  
They all shook their heads.  
  
"Then I think it best that nothing is said about Legolas even being in the kingdom today. It may be many days till he comes back, and why trouble Thranduil with worry? It has already been too long. A few more days will not be noticed, then. Keep your tongues." She looked again at each one with a smile, and they smiled back at her. "Good night, then" she said, and walked as normally as she could back to the castle, and went in, knowing they all watched.  
  
Once inside, and the doors were closed, she took off running back to her rooms, for she'd been delayed longer than she'd liked. She burst in the door and found the Elf-Prince asleep, unconscious, on her bed, his hand still over the wound. It had taken too long and the loss of blood had weakened him. His fine coat was stained with the blood, and as Jairah drew his hand away from the wound, and drew the coat off of him, she noticed the bleeding had in fact slowed to a stop.  
  
She would have to pull his shirt off of him to dress the wound, and she found herself becoming a bit shy at the thought of doing this. After all, she had not seen him since she'd been but a child, when he'd left. He'd been the same as he was now, but she had still been small, not yet grown. When she had been smaller, right after she'd come to live with his father in this part of Mirkwood, she'd thought him handsome. Indeed, she'd thought of him many times after he'd left, maybe even missed him, wondered where he was and how he fared.  
  
She shook herself, and forced herself to unbutton his shirt and pull it off his shoulder, where the wound was finally revealed to her. It was ugly, she'd pulled the arrow out very fast, causing the arrow to break blood vessels in the muscle. The skin around the wound had bruised a little, and Jairah winced at the sight, and again felt guilty. She moved to get a damp cloth to bathe the wound in, and washed the wound as thoroughly as she could. The wound began to bleed a little again while she did this, and she then chewed on the athalas as she searched her room for something to use as bandage to bind the wound closed. She found a bit of silk from a scarf that she had loved, and hated to use, but there was nothing else. So she cut it up with her dagger, and removed the athalas from her mouth, and carefully placed it in the wound with her fingers, pushing it deep inside, so that the plants natural healing elements would reach all hurt. In his sleep, Legolas winced with pain, the plant was working even as Jairah applied it to him. Gingerly she touched him, afraid she was hurting him, even though she knew it was the plant.  
  
She did not know much of healing magicks, she had only learnt a few small things from Lord Elrond when he'd come to visit them a few years ago. So before she bound the wound closed with the silk, she whispered the only words of healing she knew, in Elvish, but she said them in the tongue of the elves of Mirkwood, the Silver Elves. Then she wrapped the blue silk around Legolas' shoulder, tied it securely, and sat back to inspect her work. No blood seeped from the wound, and he slept still. The little bit of magick she had used would make him sleep for a little while yet.  
  
She took his stained coat and shirt from him and dumped them on a chair by the bed, and pulled her coverlet over him, then went over to the window for some air. She needed to breathe, it seemed her breath had caught in her throat when she had hit him with the arrow. She couldn't believe herself.  
  
Night had come while she'd attended to him, which left her with a question in her mind, where was she to sleep now, that he was in her bed and he could not leave here until he was healed? There was no place other than her bed. And she had wounded him, he was entitled to her bed, she felt. She could not go down into any of the other rooms in the castle, as if she was found, questions would arise as to why she was not sleeping in her own room.  
  
At long last, after gazing around the room, searching for a possible spot, she climbed into the small window seat and curled her legs up and rested her head on her knees, the moonlight pooling in over her head and illuminating the room. She stared at Legolas, still slumbering on the bed, and felt tired, drained. So much worry in her heart, not for his well-being persay, because she knew he'd heal just fine. Worry about hiding him here, being alone with him, Possibly he could be angry for what she'd done, though he'd apologised for teasing her into shooting him, which had surprised Jairah. But how would she keep him here, hidden away from Thranduil, untill his wound was healed? The magicks she had used would return his strength to him soon after he awoke, but the wound wouldn't heal for atleast another day.  
  
Her eyes began to hurt as she stared at him. She forced herself to look away, outside again into the trees, and up into the sky. The stars were shining brightly, and she leaned her head against the window pane and lost herself in them, and gave herself over to sleep.  
  
Sometime during the night Legolas woke, fully aware of himself, and the pain in his shoulder, though it had considerably lessened. He touched his shoulder gently, and felt the silk bandage there, someone had attended to him, and remembered Jairah telling him to keep his hand on the wound. But she'd taken so long to return, and he didn't remember her coming back.  
  
He sat up, slightly, and he was in a bed, in a room he didn't recognize. Someone had covered him with a blanket. He looked around the room, and saw his things on a chair next to the bed. The room was illuminated with starlight, pouring in from the window. And in the window, sat Jairah, fast asleep, curled up with her head on her knees, her hair spilling down over her arms. The starlight gave her a sort of halo around her head, and for a moment Legolas thought she looked like an angel.  
  
She must have taken care of him, he thought. His eyes searched the room, and he saw the bloody cloth she had used to clean his wound, and the remnants of bunch of athalas. Some of the plants blooms were on the floor by the bed.  
  
This was her room, he thought. And this was her bed, that she'd put him in. He looked over to her again, and her hands had fallen down to her sides, though her head still rested against her knees. Her hand was still stained with his blood, she had not bothered to wash her hands after she'd fixed him up.  
  
He felt a wave of guilt wash over him and the pain in his shoulder he now felt he deserved. He shouldn't have teased her. He had deserved to be shot, with the way he'd spoken to her. After all, he'd only wanted her attention, he now knew. When he'd first seen her, and realized who she was, he couldn't believe it. She had been a lovely child, yes, but now she was the fairest thing he'd ever seen. Her eyes were the first thing that had captured him, like they were looking right into him, like they knew his deepest thoughts. She'd made him feel a way he'd never felt before, with that intense look in her eyes.  
  
He rose from the bed now, the pain in his shoulder ebbing at him, and walked silently over to where she slept in the window. He was afraid to touch her, even though he wanted to, because he didn't want to wake her, to startle her. But he reached out with his good arm and gently stroked some strands of hair that framed her face. She sighed in her sleep, just a little, but didn't wake. He could sense that she was very tired and in a deep slumber.  
  
Her small frame was curled up tightly in the small window seat, and he felt badly again that she'd given him her bed. After all, he had egged her on, teased her into shooting him, and she should not have felt as if she'd even had to take care of him. So carefully, and gently, because his shoulder was still in pain, and he didn't want to wake her, he wrapped his arms around Jairah and lifted her out of the window. She wasn't heavy, so his shoulder didn't hurt too badly when he did this. He carried her over to her bed and laid her down on it, and covered her with the blanket. She turned to her side, and drew her knees up to herself again and sighed again.  
  
He watched her sleep for a short time, before going round to the other side of the bed. It was too late for him to leave the room now, and he found himself not wanting to, anyway. He was weary, from the wound as much from travel, and so he climbed into the bed, next to her, and laid down, and turned to her. Her back was to him, but her hair was spread across the pillows and was near his face, and he reached up and touched it again. It was like finely spun silk, and it smelled like jasmine, very fragrant. Sleep came very fast for him, with his fingers still entangled Jairah's hair.  
  
  
  
Jairah that morning woke up feeling refreshed and then  
  
realized that she was in her own bed. She distinctly  
  
remembered falling asleep at the window, curled up...  
  
so how did she get to be here. She slowly turned and  
  
saw Legolas behind her, sound asleep, holding a wisp  
  
of her hair. She smiled and laid down to sleep, but  
  
then realized how terrible this scene looked and  
  
leaped out of bed, her hair leaving his fingertips and  
  
her sudden movement causing Legolas to shift in his  
  
sleep, turn on his side onto... nothing. His body  
  
rolled off the bed and hit the ground with a thud and  
  
he cried out, and Jairah looked over the edge of the  
  
bed at the elf prince sprawled out on the floor,  
  
holding his shoulder.  
  
"I know that I teased you quite mercilessly and  
  
deserved that arrow in my shoulder, but do I deserve  
  
to be abused even more now?" he asked as he sat up and  
  
rubbed his shoulder.  
  
"Did you move me from the windowsill to the bed?" she  
  
asked.  
  
"Of course I did. I would not let you sleep the entire  
  
night crumpled up like a leaf by the window," he  
  
replied as he crawled up onto the bed. "How long will  
  
I stay hidden here?" he asked, to which she shrugged.  
  
"Another day, until the wound is healed, I do not wish  
  
to present to your father his only son injured by his  
  
foster-sister," she replied to him, and she heard him  
  
wince. "Is the pain returning?" she asked and he shook  
  
his head.  
  
"No. Could you get my pack from over there, I think  
  
I'll take a few pieces of lembas to see if the wound  
  
will heal quicker with it," he said and she walked  
  
over and opened the pack, taking out a few of the leaf  
  
wrapped wafers and handing it to him. He offered her a  
  
piece, which she refused and sat back out by the  
  
window and stared at the woods below, his small  
  
cousins playing with arrows and seeing her watching  
  
from above. They all waved and she waved back. "So you  
  
have befriended my cousins?" he asked as he chewed on  
  
the bread.  
  
"Fairly well, it's quite amusing how when they give me  
  
archery lessons the older ones find any excuse to  
  
position my arms," she said with a smirk as she looked  
  
down on them. "I believe they're all infatuated," she  
  
said and looked at Legolas who nodded as he glanced at  
  
her.  
  
"Apparently, it is the curse of the Greenleafs," he  
  
said and grinned, then leaned back against the  
  
headboard of the bed. After a while of not speaking,  
  
he decided to try and strike up a conversation with  
  
her that would not involve in a slaying like the day  
  
before. "What have you done in the years I have been  
  
away?" he asked.  
  
"Grown up," she replied and did not turn her head from  
  
the window.  
  
"Has my father spoken of marriage proposals from  
  
anyone yet?" he asked.  
  
"A few, but I am not ready. I do not want to spend  
  
most of my life on Middle Earth without a time to be  
  
on my own, with a husband and family to watch over  
  
until I leave for Aman, which could be in hundreds of  
  
years," she said.  
  
"And if the right man... or elf, were to come along  
  
right at this minute, would you change your mind?" he  
  
asked.  
  
"The right one? As in the right one for all eternity?  
  
Well, naturally," she said and finally turned her body  
  
from the window and glanced at him with a slight laugh  
  
on her lips. "One does not hear true love knock and  
  
tell it to come back at a later time."  
  
Legolas put down the waybread and stared at her eyes  
  
deeply and intently for what seemed like an eternity  
  
before speaking again.  
  
"Answer the door," he said softly.  
  
Her breath caught in her chest and she wasn't sure of  
  
what to say until quite by coincidence there was a  
  
knock at the door of her room. She motioned for  
  
Legolas to go into one of the other rooms and she  
  
walked across the floor softly and opened the door.  
  
Thranduil stood there and Jairah smiled quite casually  
  
while she felt the nervousness rise in her stomach.  
  
"Daughter, will you not join me for our morning meal?"  
  
he asked and she nodded.  
  
"I am sorry I was not there earlier, I only just woke  
  
up now and wished to look presentable," she replied.  
  
"When you are ready," he said and turned to walk away,  
  
much to Jairah's relief, until he turned back to her  
  
again. "My young nephews have informed me that my son  
  
has returned from his journeys... well had, anyway. It  
  
seems he has gone back on the road to look for  
  
something. My, will he be shocked at how you have  
  
grown in the years he has been away," he said and she  
  
smiled.  
  
"I believe he will. I will make sure to be on my guard  
  
for when Legolas returns," she said and he smiled then  
  
turned and walked away.  
  
  
  
Jairah shut the door tightly, after he'd gone, and breathed a sigh of relief. It was almost too close, him coming all the way up here, as if he suspected something. She looked to the door where she'd sent Legolas and opened it, and found him hiding amongst her clothes, he was in her wardrobe.  
  
"It is safe," she said, and motioned for him to come out of the wardrobe, painfully aware that he was only half-clothed. His earlier comments still rang in her ears, but she was not sure if he had been warning her against his father's approach or not. She shook herself internally, which she noticed she seemed to be doing a lot of in Legolas' presence, and moved towards him slowly.  
  
"Let me see the wound," she said, getting back to business. "I must inspect it before I go to your father."  
  
Legolas walked towards her, and stopped right in front of her. He stood about a head taller than her, and as she leaned in to unbind the bandage from his shoulder, he leaned over her and breathed in her hair again, and sighed.  
  
Jairah heard him do this, and tried hard to concentrate on the wound. It had healed some, but not all. It would scar, this wound, she noticed, as she touched it lightly. As her fingers touched his skin, Legolas closed his eyes, but Jairah did not see him do that. She was marvelling inwardly at how soft his skin was. The bruising had gone away, the wound would heal faster than one day more. Inside, she was disappointed. But she said nothing of it.  
  
"Im afraid I have scarred you," she said, softly, as she tied the bandage back around his shoulder. "This wound will scar. I am horribly sorry." She finished tying the bandage and stepped away from him.  
  
"It is a scar I deserve," he said. "For it was my tongue that got me in this trouble. I should not have mocked your arching skills, Jairah. They have improved greatly, in my absence." He looked at her, and his eyes twinkled. "I am lucky you did not kill me."  
  
Jairah smiled. "I could not kill anything," she said. "Especially not you. Your father would have my head, for certain, no matter how much he loves me."  
  
Legolas smiled. "You best not keep him waiting, Jairah. You do not want him arousing any more suspicions in his mind. But I do say you cannot go down to him looking like that." He walked over to her again and took one of her hands in his, still bloodstained. "You should wash up, you are lucky that he did not see this." He traced the small lines in her hands with his fingertip.  
  
Jairah stared at their hands, and then drew her hand away from him. "Yes," she said, moving backwards, towards the room where she bathed, "I must clean myself up. I must look an awful fright."  
  
Legolas shook his head and looked at her admiringly. "Not from here," he said.  
  
Jairah shook her head and smiled. "You lie to me, but you are forgiven. Please, feel free to move about the rooms anyway you wish… after I have left them, that is."  
  
She looked at him for a moment, looking at her, and then moved into the next room and closed the door.  
  
Several minutes later, she re-emerged, her hair damp and sparkling in the morning light, and she was clad only in her gossamer robe, as she passed through the bedroom again to the wardrobe. Legolas was sitting in the window, staring outside, and only caught a glimpse of her, but it was enough. He locked that memory in his mind, and closed his eyes, untill she re-emerged again, this time dressed in a soft dress of forest green, her hair loose and flowing over her shoulders, bound up in the front. Small blooms of jasmine were woven within the braids that framed either side of her face, and tucked gently behind her ears. She looked at him for a long moment, and then smiled before she left the room, to seek out Thranduil.  
  
As soon as she closed the door behind her, he'd risen and started to pace the room, like an animal. That was it, he thought. He knew. She'd stolen his heart. He'd never be able to give it to another elf as long as he lived.  
  
It was all happening so fast. He'd just returned home, he was not expecting to fall in love right as he returned. But she was changed, and the change in her was so remarkable. Not only was she fair, but her spirit, he felt it. It made him feel drawn to her. He had needed to exercise considerable restraint when she was inspecting his wound, he'd wanted to kiss her. But he was afraid that she didn't feel the same way, that she couldn't feel that extreme emotion that was building inside of him. She'd seemed not to notice.  
  
He pondered his thoughts while he walked around her room, for the first time really looking at it. It exuded her, everywhere he looked. The bed was in fact canopied in a iridesecent blue fabric, hanging low and to the floor, that matched the coverlet that had been on the bed. He smiled when he remembered that just hours before, he'd been sleeping in this bed with her. Her body had been warm, and her hair had been soft. He had not minded when he'd fallen out of the bed.  
  
The room was lined with bookcases, Jairah must have loved books. Her bow and quiver of arrows leaned against one doorframe, and Legolas passed them as he went into the room where she bathed. In here, there was a large table full of her jewelry, combs. He let his fingers run over her brush lightly, and then noticed a small wooden box, sitting on the corner of the table, and curiously he picked it up, and opened.  
  
Contained within were two things. On a long, silver chain, was a ring, a simple, silver ring. Legolas knew what this was, it had belonged to Jairah's father, before he died. It made him sad to think of Jairah's father, slain so long ago in a rogue battle, none knew the reasons why those Orc's had stormed Sandros' realm in Southern Mirkwood back then. Legolas remembered his father returning from that battle, with Jairah on his horse. She'd been so small, and so sad.  
  
"She will belong to us now," Thranduil had said, "For her father was a great friend of mine, and she is left alone in this world." Legolas had nodded. He closed his eyes and remembered Jairah as the small elf-child, her hair had still been long. It had been raining that day, he remembered her being shrouded underneath his father's cloak. Her hair plastered to her face, and those amber eyes. They had not the intensity that they had now, but still, they were captivating.  
  
He felt shameful for being jealous of her, because he had been, he felt that he was not the center of his fathers attention. His father had doted on Jairah, but he saw now that it had been the extreme sadness inside of her that his father had wanted to draw out, for elves could die of a broken heart. Jairah had no mother, she'd died bringing Jairah into the world. Jairah's father was all she'd ever known, and she'd lost him. For days Jairah neither spoke, nor ate. Thranduil had tried many things, untill he'd instructed Legolas to start teaching her with the bow and arrow, and surprisingly, Jairah had warmed to that. She had been a miserable shot, like he'd said. And not soon after that, Legolas had left seeking adventure.  
  
He gently put the ring and the chain back in the box. This belonged to Jairah, and he had no right to touch it.  
  
The other item in the box surprised him greatly, though. He picked it up and held it carefully, in the palm of his hand. It was just a cloak pin, but it was silver and blue, shaped like a star. It had belonged to him, many years ago. But she'd liked it, and he'd given it to her, because she'd been so sad. She had said something about how pretty it was, and how she liked stars and he'd given it to her, and it had made her smile. But he hadn't expected her to actually keep it, not in this little box where she kept a sacred ring that had belonged to her long dead father.  
  
He put the pin carefully back in the box, and closed it, placing it exactly where it had been on the table, so she would not know he'd been looking in there, and went back out into the bedroom. His thoughts again strayed to her, and now he thought of the pin in the box and thought maybe, just maybe, she had feelings for him. He had no way of knowing, but he resolved to talk to her more deeply about it when she returned. He wondered what if she had noticed the little hints he'd tried to drop her earlier, before his father had come to her room.  
  
All he knew was what was inside, growing, growing fast with every passing minute. The intensity of it all scared him, but thrilled him. He had come home for this, he thought. He knew that it had been time to come home, and it had been for this. He hoped that Jairah could love him.  
  
Little did he know that the same thoughts were  
  
beginning to grow in the mind of Jairah. As she walked  
  
to Thranduil's castle where she had lived for most of  
  
her life, she almost got lost because her thoughts  
  
were solely on what had been going on this morning and  
  
the afternoon before. That damn elf had turned her  
  
world upside down simply by returning, taken what she  
  
knew and reversing it all.  
  
Thranduil noticed the absentmindedness in Jairah's  
  
manner at the breakfast table as well and smiled to  
  
himself as he knew what was finally happening. She was  
  
finally coming of age and soon would be set to be  
  
married. He had only told her of a few suitors that  
  
had asked for her (asking him since he was her  
  
guardian and it was not proper to ask the girl  
  
directly), the main ones that he thought she would  
  
like, but there had been several more from Middle  
  
Earth. Not only was she admired for her beauty but her  
  
skills with weapons was known throughout Middle Earth.  
  
  
  
But one offer that Thranduil had been keeping to  
  
himself as a front runner in the race for Lady  
  
Jairah's hand was Elladan, son of Elrond, who was much  
  
like Jairah in many ways. They were familiar to each  
  
other since Jairah had spent one year living in  
  
Rivendell as a young girl and when Thranduil received  
  
the letter from Lord Elrond talking of his son's love  
  
for Jairah that grew by the day, Thranduil knew this  
  
would be a good match.  
  
Thranduil planned in his mind the feast on  
  
Mid-Summer's Eve, a day known for its respect to the  
  
earth for new life, as a prayer for all to go well,  
  
and what better than to plant the seeds of the future  
  
on Mid-Summer's Eve? He would plan a great feast and  
  
party on that day, announcing Legolas as heir to the  
  
throne of Mirkwood and announcing the engagement of  
  
Jairah to Elladan. There were two months until the day  
  
and it would have to be organized quickly but it could  
  
be done.  
  
"Daughter, I must leave you now, for I have things to  
  
plan," he said as he rose from the table. He walked  
  
out and stopped at the door and smiled at her. "Great  
  
things are blossoming child, things you will have a  
  
hand in." Jairah did not fully understood the message,  
  
and she stayed in the room for a while longer until  
  
getting up to go back to her room and tend to Legolas.  
  
She hurried up the stairs, and instead of turning to the direction of her room, she silently slipped to where Legolas' rooms were, on the opposite side of the castle. She went into these rooms, she knew them well. She'd passed by them often after he'd left, gone into them. She had never touched anything, and never had stayed long for fear of getting caught.  
  
Now she quickly went into his wardrobe and chose a pretty blue shirt for him to wear, as the one in her room was stained with his blood. She closed the door to the wardrobe and stole away again towards her room, silently, stealthily. She breathed deeply before entering her room, knowing she'd find Legolas in there.  
  
She opened the door and peered in, and was horrified by what she saw. Legolas was sitting on her bed, having removed the bandage from his shoulder, and was probing at the arrow-wound with his fingers.  
  
She slammed the door behind her quickly and ran over to him. "Are you a complete fool?" she asked him, snatching his hand away from the wound, which had begun to bleed a little.  
  
He looked at her innocently. "I was just looking at it," he said. He looked at her, the look of horror and worry on her face and thought it beautiful.  
  
"Looking, indeed," Jairah replied, pressing her hand over the wound hard, pushing him back against the headboard of the bed. "Your eyes could not open up this wound again! What have you done?" She looked at him expectantly.  
  
He didn't answer her, and this infuriated her. She sighed angrily. "I should let you bleed!" she said, but moved to retrieve the remainder of the athalas, another cloth, and the rest of the scarf she'd used as the bandage. She returned to his side, and was unnerved by the calm expression on his face. She ignored it as she started to attend to him again.  
  
She looked at him as she pressed the cloth to the wound, and held it there with one hand, and with the other put the athalas in her mouth and began to chew on it. He was gazing at her, calmly, something was in his eyes, that she found completely magnetic, and she forced herself to look away, as she removed the cloth.  
  
"You are an idiot, you know that?" she whispered to him, as she took the athalas from her mouth and started to gently push it into the wound. He winced, this hurt a bit.  
  
"Ahh, that hurts, doesn't it?" she said, her tone getting a bit factious. He looked at her again, the same look in his eyes, but didn't say a word. The athalas would be making the wound hot on the inside, it would be a little much for him to take. Served him right, she thought. He shouldn't have tampered with it. But the initial anger she'd felt had faded, and she didn't know what she was feeling now. It wasn't a bad feeling at all.  
  
She reached over for the bandage, and she motioned for him to prop himself up so she might apply it to his shoulder.  
  
"This was my favorite scarf, you know," she said. "I didn't have anything else that would serve as a bandage for this shoulder." She bound the bandage tightly, a little too tightly for him, he winced as she finished, and she gathered up the cloth and athalas scraps and moved to clear them away, but he reached out and took her arm as she was about to get up from the bed.  
  
"Jairah," he said, a little breathy, probably from the pain in his shoulder. She turned back to him, and it was the same look, the same pulling, magnetic, intense look. This time she looked back. Their gazes locked for a moment, before he leaned up and kissed her, gently, on the lips, for several long seconds.  
  
It was her who broke the kiss, for she was stunned. She moved away from him, slightly, to catch her breath, and he leaned up and kissed her forehead. "Thank you," he said.  
  
She furrowed her brow. "For what?" His eyes were so very close to her own, she was afraid she'd get lost in them. She didn't understand why he was thanking her, indeed, none of her thoughts seemed to connect to the other, just an overwhelming sense of feeling coming from somewhere in her stomach.  
  
He took her hand and placed it on his shoulder. "This." He said, looking at her, and touching her hair with his good arm, tucking some of it behind her pointed ear, and kissing her ear.  
  
She gently pushed him away and moved to sit against the base of the bed. She needed space, she needed to breathe. She needed to calm the feelings inside of her, because they were raging.  
  
But she couldn't speak, not even as she got all the way across the bed from him. She just looked at him. She couldn't believe he'd done that. This was almost as surreal as the words he'd spoken earlier.  
  
She did not know what to say or how to respond, and so  
  
she down looked at her entwined hands intently,  
  
thinking that if she didn't look at Legolas, he would  
  
go away, but of course he didn't.  
  
"Lady, I meant no disrespect..." he said and she shook  
  
her head.  
  
"So formal you have become in thirty seconds,  
  
brother," she replied harshly.  
  
"We are not brother and sister, and legally we are not  
  
even kin. Our fathers were only good friends," Legolas  
  
said.  
  
"Do you say this to reassure yourself that your love  
  
for me is not wrong, or to convince me that the  
  
absolute need I have to kiss you is not wrong?" she  
  
asked.  
  
Legolas, in a rare moment, became upset and audibly  
  
sighed. She glanced at him and though her facial  
  
expression expressed what seemed to be hatred, her  
  
eyes seemed to be shiny with the beginnings of tears.  
  
With his good arm, he held her arm and turned her to  
  
him.  
  
"Do you honestly believe that I returned after such a  
  
long journey simply to fall in love with the girl that  
  
I left behind only a child? This is as much a surprise  
  
for me as it is for you, and like you, I also don't  
  
know what to do. But Lady, do not treat me cruelly  
  
simply because my heart has found its way to yours."  
  
His elegant words moved her and she sighed, looking  
  
down at her hands again, but Legolas followed her eyes  
  
and looked into them. They slowly kissed and neither  
  
of them moved away, forgetting for only a moment that  
  
this seemed so wrong but couldn't help feeling so  
  
completely right.  
  
After a long moment, and after Jairah's arms had wound their way around Legolas' neck, and his around her back, she broke the kiss again, and he felt tears running down her cheeks, and she was shaking her head. She looked at him tearfully, and he caught a teardrop as it slid down her face.  
  
"No," he said. "Jairah, please, don't cry." He kissed her forehead, and she just continued to shake her head, and she tried to push herself out of his arms, but he held fast to her. She relaxed, defeated, and looked to the window, silent. Her silence troubled him, even as he looked at her, the tears glistening in her eyes.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, and he could feel the anguish inside of her. But he also felt an overwhelming feeling of love coming from her, which pleased him. "What troubles you, please, tell me.."  
  
She looked at him, more tears falling out of her eyes. "I am frightened, Legolas. I am scared of my heart. And of what my heart feels for you, all of a sudden, so fast. Do you know what my heart has told me, Legolas?"  
  
He shook his head, and she closed her eyes. "It has said to me, 'this is it'. There will be no other. My heart does not belong to me anymore. And that frightens me, Legolas, for you were not who I expected to give my heart to."  
  
Legolas took Jairah's hand and kissed it. "My heart has said the exact same thing to me, Jairah. I knew, when I laid eyes on you, that I would not be able to give my heart to another elf as long as I lived. And do you think I was expecting to come home to fall in love with you, the small child I left standing on the steps so long ago? No, Jairah. Not at all. I came home to find that child someone quite different. Too many years have passed, I should have come home sooner. I have much time to make up for, now that I know what I have been missing."  
  
Jairah looked at him, her tears had stopped. "It has all happened too fast," she murmured, staring up into his eyes again, the intensity returning. "And what will your father say?" she wondered. "We are his children, you are his son. True, I am not his blood daughter, but he looks on me as one. He will not like this, I do not think." She shuddered when she thought of explaining to Thranduil her love for his son. Though she loved Thranduil immensely, she feared him as any daughter might fear their father.  
  
Legolas smiled, and kissed Jairah's cheek. "I will deal with my father when the time comes to tell him. For now, I do not wish to share this with anyone. It is new to me and therefore only mine. There is so much I wish to learn about you, about what I have missed about you while I have been away."  
  
Jairah had relaxed, and leaned her head against his good shoulder. "What do you wish to know? You left when I was still a child, but I doubt there is much to tell. You must have more to tell than I." She smiled up at him.  
  
"It was true, I left seeking adventure, and I found it. I met several interesting people on my travels…." (chelle writes the part about meeting the blue wizard)  
  
"Your father sent me to Rivendell for a year, when I had come of age, to learn from Lord Elrond." Jairah said. "I stayed with his family, and that was where I mastered the use of my weapons." She looked at him with a glint of mischief in her eyes. "I am not just good with a bow and arrow."  
  
Legolas looked at her. "What other weapons did you learn how to use?"  
  
Jairah smiled at him, quite naughtily, and rose from the bed, releasing his hands, and went over to where his things still sat on the chair, and pulled out his twin blades, and tossed them to him. Legolas caught them, and looked at her, stunned. Did she mean to fight him, right here, in her room?  
  
"Yes," Jairah said, reading his thoughts. "Though I will be gentle, because of that shoulder." She moved to a cupboard, and pulled out two very lovely mahogany handled blades, which were etched in silver writing, and their silver blades shone in the dusky candlelight. Jairah's eyes shone, as she beckoned for Legolas to attack her.  
  
He didn't want to. He was quite good with the blades, and injured or not, he was afraid he'd hurt her.  
  
"Fine, then," Jairah said, in her mind, and thrust forward and knocked one of the blades out his hands, stunning him. She stood in an attack position, one of the blades poised to slash at his throat.  
  
Legolas slowly leaned down and retrieved the fallen blade, Jairah's eyes glinting at him as she watched his every move. Then he moved to attack her as he picked it up, but she combated his every move.  
  
For several minutes they sparred, and she fought him off, wearing him out. She met his every move and blocked his every attempt to knock the blades from her hands. At one point he had her trapped, with her hands over her head, the blades locked behind her, and he thought he'd won. She looked ready to surrender, and he leaned in, and kissed her, because the look on her face was irresistible. She let him kiss her, and then brought her knee up and gently knocked him in the chest, sending him backwards off of her and onto her bed. She was on him in an instant, a blade on either side of his neck. He had lost.  
  
She was sitting on his chest, leaning over him, her hair spilling down over his chest, a smirk on her face. He released the blades from his hands, and gave her a surrendering look. He then looked closely at the blades, and at the writing on them.  
  
For beauty unmatched,  
  
"Daughter... sweet daughter...they said, on them, in Quenya.  
  
"Where did you get those?" he asked, genuinely interested.  
  
Jairah sat back, withdrawing the blades. "They were a gift from Elladan, Lord Elrond's son, while I was in Rivendell." She rose from the bed and went and stored the blades back where she'd gotten them from.  
  
Legolas frowned. "Elladan?" he asked. Jairah turned to him and nodded.  
  
"He is a friend of mine." She said simply, and returned to sit on the bed, facing him.  
  
"That is not something that a friend engraves on a blade, Jairah," Legolas said.  
  
Jairah sighed. "Elladan and I lived in the same house for a year, Legolas. We are much alike. I do admit, when I was there, I found him quite interesting. And I do think that he wished for me to be more than a friend to him. But this was several years ago, and I do not remember most things." She looked away from him, for she was not telling the whole truth. But Legolas could sense this, and pressed the matter.  
  
"Jairah, you are not telling me something. What is it?"  
  
She looked at him again, marveling at how he knew her so well, and yet hardly at all. She couldn't lie to him, like she had to Elladan, which scared her all the more. This must be the real thing.  
  
She sighed. "Elladan, while I was in Rivendell, told me he planned to ask your father for me. He wanted to marry me. But I told him not to think of such foolish things, as I was not old enough and I was not ready, and I did not believe that he loved me. And I did not love him. I did find him quite interesting, but I was not ready. I wanted to come back to Mirkwood, and when your father sent for me, I believe I broke Elladan's heart when I told him I would not stay in Rivendell. But I thought time would heal that wound."  
  
Legolas looked at her, wide-eyed. "Did it not?"  
  
Jairah shook her head, and smiled sadly. "Last year, right before Midsummer's, Elladan came riding into Mirkwood, to visit me. He came unannounced, and his feelings for me had grown, but I had almost forgotten him. And I had not the heart to tell him this. He proclaimed his love for me, and I told him that I still was not ready to be married. I think he blamed the fact that I did not live still with him in Rivendell on this. He begged me to come back to Rivendell with him, to live. But I refused. I did not want to leave your father. He would be all alone, with you away on your travels, and your father did not abandon me. I could not. Mirkwood is home to me. And I did not love Elladan, I did not want to marry him. He argued with me that your father was not my real father, and that he could make me happy in Rivendell, but I still refused, and I think that upset him, greatly. He asked your father for me, and your father told him that I was not ready. So he left. But not before giving me a promise."  
  
Legolas was all ears. "What did he say?"  
  
"He climbed up on his horse, and he said to me : 'You'll see, Jairah. By next Midsummer's, we'll be together again. I love you,'"  
  
"And what did you reply?" Legolas said, wanting to know the answer desperately.  
  
Jairah smiled at him, for he seemed utterly jealous. "I told him that we would see. I did not wish to hurt his feelings and say 'no, Elladan, we will not,' because he had a long journey back to Rivendell, and a broken heart would hurt that journey very much. I wish him no ill will. He is still my friend, after all. But my heart is my own, Legolas. I would not give it to anyone I did not love." She looked at him again, and he was smiling at her.  
  
Jairah reached out for his hand. "Elladan may have those feelings for me, but i could never reciprocate. i do not love him, and it would be folly to pretend just for his sake. And now that I know that my heart belongs to you, I do not need to worry about such things."  
  
He smiled and then kissed her hand. "No, you do not. But I do not wish to see Elladan any time soon, not by Midsummer's, not by Midwinters. For what he seeks now belongs to me, and I would let him know that he would not be able to have it."  
  
Jairah sighed, a happy sigh this time, and leaned into Legolas, and he wrapped his arms around her. And then they were silent, letting their thoughts drift away in eachothers embrace for a moment.  
  
Legolas held his arms around Jairah for what seemed like hours, and indeed he had never felt this way before. He had always been restless, hence the years of travelling, but he was somehow completely content lying here with his beloved in his arms.  
  
But yet he could not stay content. From the corner of his eye he saw something silver shining, the blades of Elladan. Those trinkets given in love and taken by Jairah in innocent friendship burned at his soul and his jealous spirit, and he knew what he had to do.  
  
"Love, awake from your dreams," he whispered in her ear and her eyes fluttered open, and over her shoulder she glanced at him expectantly. "I must go away, for only a few nights, I swear it to you, I will return within three nights, I must see to some business," he said to her quietly.  
  
"You come and take me into this whirlwind of emotion and then leave me?" she asked quietly, and he shook his head furiously  
  
"Never, this matter concerns you, and I swear it, I will return," he said and kissed her forehead, then got out of the bed. Within minutes he had his fresh shirt on and grabbed his quiver and bow, then cautiously exited the room and closed the door behind him.  
  
He quickly and yet softly ran down the steps of the house and outside, where he spotted the stables across the way. As he ran across the grass, his horse looked up from its place and Legolas reached him, opening the door and letting him out. He climbed up on its back and the horse somehow knew his urgency and quickly made for the exit of Mirkwood and ran quickly, and after a few minutes Legolas leaned his face next to the horse's ear and whispered, "To Rivendell." The horse somehow understood and increased its speed on the road.  
  
Jairah awoke the next morning after an empty, dreamless sleep, simply thinking about the past two days that had turned around her entire life. She rose from her bed and leaned out the window of her room, deeply inhaling the fragrant air that flew in through the open windows. She reluctantly walked away from them and went to wash up for the day and put on some clothes to meet Thranduil for their morning meal.  
  
When she reached the room where they usually dined together, she found Thranduil no where in sight. One of Legolas's cousins walked in and smiled at her presence. "Cousin," he said with an air of familiarity and she smiled in return. "My uncle has instructed me to tell you that you shall be eating alone today and tomorrow, since he is overwhelmingly busy planning an event."  
  
"Thank you for telling me," she said and before he could say anything else, she left the room quickly and walked out of the house.  
  
From her eyes she glanced at the stables where the horses were kept and noticed the one empty slot that only yesterday had been occupied with a horse. The weariness set in her heart and she regretted allowing him to leave her the night before. The promise he had made seemed like nothing to her now, and in her mind she thought that he would not return, though her heart told her to stop being a fool and believe him. She sighed and walked through the familiar woods, thinking of her love.  
  
Legolas's horse rode increasingly fast, taking roads that Legolas had discovered in his journeys to make the trip to Rivendell faster. By the next afternoon he had arrived at the gates of Rivendell and was greeted by a small gathering of the family of Elrond, namely his son Elrohir, his daughter Arwen, and the foster son of Elrond, Narendil Algarelena.  
  
Once Legolas appeared at the gates and dismounted from the horse, Arwen and Elrohir came to give him a warm welcome, but it was Narendil he had come to see. They embraced quickly and walked off together, leaving Elrohir to put the horse somewhere for safe keeping.  
  
"My friend, you have not been to Rivendell in ages, or so it seems. What brings you here?" Narendil asked.  
  
"You, as an Istari, are gifted in magic with the metals of this world, are you not?" Legolas asked.  
  
"Well yes, I have been instructed by Lord Elrond and many others smiths of the world," he said, and Legolas nodded with a smile.  
  
"Narendil, I have a favor to ask of you. I request of you to make a necklace of the white metal of this world in the shape of the character 'Eternity' in the tongue of my people," Legolas said quietly.  
  
"A silver necklace upon a silver chain in the symbol of eternity... if I didn't know better, I would ask if it was for a Lady that has caught your eye," Narendil replied with a slight grin and Legolas shrugged. "It will be done," he said.  
  
"One other thing. I need an enchantment to be placed on it," Legolas said.  
  
"Say no more, I see the plan so clearly in your mind, and I will begin work on it when I get the proper materials," Narendil replied.  
  
"Wonderful. I swore to her I would return within three days, and I only hope that I will return quicker to prove my promise to her," he said.  
  
"It will surely take three days from Rivendell back to Mirkwood, how can you return within three days?" Narendil asked.  
  
"I plan to return in one and a half," Legolas said to Narendil's shocked expression.  
  
"I see your heart flies on the wings of love and therefore, I do not doubt it. Go on, return, and I will send word when your chain is ready," he replied. They embraced once more and Legolas ran off back to the main gates where his horse waited expectantly, refusing to be taken to the stables by Elrohir or Arwen. Legolas climbed back on, waved goodbye to the house of Elrond, and rode back on the path he came from.  
  
Night had fallen again on the third night, and Jairah was restless, she'd been unable to sleep. Her mind was torturing her, telling her that he'd not return to her, though he'd sworn it. She did not know what to believe. She could not close her eyes, for when she did, his were there waiting for her. It was maddening. It was as if she'd been given the world and then it had been cruelly snatched from her.  
  
Shamefully, she'd shed tears. And she cursed herself for doing this, for allowing herself to cry, and to doubt him like this. But it was now the third night, and he had not returned.  
  
She had been sitting at the window, forsaking sleep long ago. She'd watched the moon rise. Now she decided to go out into the woods, for she was not afraid to walk in these woods at night, unlike some of the people of this land. The moon would calm her, as it had so many other nights.  
  
But she found no solace underneath the moon. It shone down on her, like it had so many other times, but she did not find peace in its light. She had not felt peace inside since he had left her, and this troubled her.  
  
"He has taken my heart, and I will not know peace again untill he is back," she mused, playing with a strand of her hair, twirling it between her fingers, as she walked towards the steps of the castle, to pass the hours in her room again. She'd been a shut in, and it was lucky that Thranduil had been so busy with his preparations, or else he would have noticed her absence, her troubled state. He would have asked what was wrong.  
  
She had almost reached the top of the stairs, the doors had opened for her when she heard the hoofbeats of a horse, far in the distance. She turned to look, but she saw nothing. She waited, hearing the footfalls of the horse coming closer, and closer. Then she saw the horse, flying down the lane towards the castle, Legolas upon its back, and she smiled.  
  
He stopped short of the castle, he didn't see her standing off to the side, hidden by the large shadow of the door. He whispered to the horse, and it walked towards the stables, listening to it's master. He sighed and moved to walk up the stairs, when Jairah darted out from the door and ran down the steps, and threw herself into his arms,  
  
"Jairah!" he said, pleasantly startled as he caught her, his arms going underneath her to pull her up into his arms to carry her. He had planned to sneak up to her room, where thought she'd be sleeping. He'd gotten delayed in the dark, but not horribly so.  
  
She sat in his arms and stared at him, her pretty eyes fixed to his. He searched her face, she looked tired, as if she had not slept, and this bothered him. She didn't speak, just stared at him, with an odd expression on her face.  
  
"Jairah?" he asked, concerned. He leaned up to kiss her cheek, and still the expression remained on her face. She stared at him still, untill something broke in her and she started to cry again, and she buried her head in his shoulder, his good one.  
  
He was now very troubled, as he didn't understand why she would cry, or what might have happened to her. Instead of going up the stairs, and into the castle, he walked into the shadow of the trees, and set her down in the grass.  
  
"Jairah, please," he said, pleading with her. She looked up at him, finally, her eyes shining with tears, illuminated by the moonlight peeking through the leaves.  
  
'I was so afraid," she said. "That you were not going to come back."  
  
Legolas smiled. "I told you that I would," he said, stroking her hair, as she laid her head down to rest in his lap.  
  
"I know," she said. "But I did not believe it. I could not sleep, I could not eat. I was afraid that you'd just leave, and not come back, and I would be left to die of a broken heart, or that this had been some wonderful dream and I was to be deceived by myself."  
  
Legolas shook his head. "You do not trust me?" he asked, though he was not hurt by her. "I swore to you, that I would return. And here I am, come to you, just like I promised."  
  
Jairah raised her head from his lap, and looked at him, the last tears slipping away from her eyes. "Forgive me," she whispered, as she looked into his eyes. "My heart is weak when it comes to you, but only because the love I feel is so strong. I do not know how that is possible. But now I do not feel complete unless you are here."  
  
Legolas smiled at her, and brushed some of her hair back over her shoulders. "I will always return to you, Jairah. You must learn to trust me. Time will bring that. And we have that, always, time." He leaned in and kissed her, gently, on the lips, and she returned the kiss this time without hesitation.  
  
Her hands went to his shoulders, and she remembered his wound and she broke away from him. "Let me see it," she said, breathily, pulling on his coat, and he laughed and helped her, and she unbuttoned his shirt and drew it away from his shoulder, and removed the silk from where his wound had been.  
  
It was completely gone, the wound. All that was left of it was a round scar, and Jairah touched it gently. "It healed while you were away," she said, and leaned in and kissed the scar. "You will always have this, im afraid." She said, as she drew away from him. He said nothing, but smiled.  
  
She looked up towards the castle, and sighed. "You will be able to see your father tomorrow, then," she said, a bit sadly. He was no longer her secret to keep. She would now have to share him.  
  
"But not untill tomorrow," he said, smiling at her again, and drawing her into his arms. "Tomorrow doesn't come untill morning. And you are tired, love, I can feel it. Sleep, now, and we'll deal with the world tomorrow."  
  
But Jairah did not lean up against him, like he expected she would. She did not want to rest. She was thinking about tomorrow and how there might not be anymore of this after tomorrow, because of Thranduil. She still feared his judgment, of her love for his son. So she turned to Legolas, her eyes on fire.  
  
He noticed them. "What is it?" he whispered, but she shook her head and placed a finger on his lips, and stared him in the eyes. She knew what she wanted of him, but then thought better of it. These things must wait, the sun would rise in a matter of hours and there wasn't time for what she wanted now.  
  
She climbed into his arms, and rested her head on his shoulder, and he leaned back against a large tree trunk and held her, and they both closed their eyes. Morning would come too soon.  
  
  
  
It seemed Legolas had only closed his eyes when the rays of sunshine made him open them again. He smiled, and nuzzled Jairah, who was still asleep, sitting in his lap, her arms around his neck. She felt him and she sighed, in her sleep, and hugged him tighter, burrowing her head onto his shoulder, her hair spilling down his chest. He kissed the top of her head and rocked her, gently.  
  
He stared up into the trees, and felt happy, content. He felt peace, having his beloved sleeping in his arms, having her at peace. He sat this way for perhaps the better part of an hour, before he knew he must wake her, and they must be separated so that he could go to his father.  
  
He hated having to wake her. A small smile was upon her lips, her cheek pressed against his neck, and he touched her lips gently, before leaning down to kiss her on the lips, then on her eyelids.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, drawing her into his arms so that she was now laying in them. Her eyes opened slowly, and the sunlight made her flinch, and she looked up at Legolas, dreamily, then closed her eyes again.  
  
"No, Jairah," Legolas said. "You must wake up, love. The time has come for me to go to my father." He looked at her sadly.  
  
She sat up abruptly, with these words, and blinked several times, shaking off the sleep, and stood quickly.  
  
"Then I must go, now," she said. She looked down at him, and then leaned down and grasped his hands, and pulled him up. She touched his shoulder again, and then started to tidy him up, as he'd not buttoned his shirt back up nor put his coat back on. He stroked her hair as she did this.  
  
Her hands worked fast, and she stepped away from him and turned to go back to the castle, with not so much as a word to him, and he leaned forward and caught her hands.  
  
"You are just going to leave, like that?" he asked, kind of hurt.  
  
She smiled at him, as she turned back. "It is better, this way. Go to your father. I will still be here, for you." She said, as she released his hands, looked at him in the eyes, deeply for a few more seconds, and then ran to the castle and disappeared.  
  
He stared after where she'd gone for a few moments, before shaking himself and walking up the long steps to the castle. The doors opened for him, and he walked in, and was greeted by several of his cousins. He searched the hall for Jairah, who he half expected to see there, but he did not see her.  
  
He was led into his father's study, where Thranduil was bent over several large papers, scrawling furiously over them, terribly busy with something. He sensed his son's presence before Legolas reached the doors, and was waiting for him when his son entered.  
  
They stood, staring at eachother, for a moment, and Thranduil sensed the change in his son immediately. His son was now changed, and for the better. He then moved forward and embraced his son.  
  
"How happy I am to see you, my son," he said, after he'd released him. He smiled and beckoned him to follow him. "Come! Sit, tell me of your journeys!"  
  
Legolas sat in the chair across the desk from him. "There is so much to tell, Father," he said. "And yet I do not know where to begin. Let us save it for a time when I can better put it into words. I am very glad to see you." he said. "Tell me of yourself, of how you have fared over the years?"  
  
Thranduil smiled. "I have been excellent." He said. "Never better. Though it would be lying to say that I did not miss you, my son. I feared that your adventurous heart would lead you far away, into danger, and you would not return. Many things have changed since you have been away, Legolas." He said, looking down at his plans.  
  
Legolas raised his eyebrows. "Father?" he asked, looking perplexed.  
  
Thranduil smiled. "It is not to be discussed now, not just now. Those changes will be talked about in time. But there are other things for you to see. Resnik!" he called to one of his nephews, who was passing by the door.  
  
Resnik stopped. "Yes, Uncle?" he inquired.  
  
"Seek out my daughter for me, bring her to me, please." Thranduil asked him. Resnik nodded and went in search of Jairah. Legolas had winced when he heard Thranduil refer to Jairah as "daughter". It reminded him of their situation.  
  
Thranduil looked to Legolas and his eyes twinkled. "You will be most surprised by her, Legolas. She has grown to be a lovely thing, and quite strong."  
  
"Has she?" Legolas asked, though he very well knew.  
  
Thranduil nodded. "Many have asked for her hand in marriage," and Legolas winced again.  
  
"Have they?" he asked, trying to sound nonchalant. "Has she accepted any?"  
  
Thranduil shook his head. "She does not know of many of them. She has refused the few she does know about, and I refused the others. She is not quite ready yet. Though I do admit, it may be my unwillingness to let her go. But very soon I feel she will be ready." Thranduil smiled, thinking about Elladan, but did not say anything to Legolas about it.  
  
Legolas was inwardly jealous at the thought of several elves asking for Jairah. But he had to hide it, for now was not the time for such things.  
  
His thoughts were interrupted and complicated by the arrival of Jairah, who was suddenly standing in the doorway.  
  
"You sent for me, sir?" she said, smiling at Thranduil prettily. She had changed her clothes, she was a vision in light blue, and her hair was plaited in the front, wound around her head gently, held by silver combs, shining in the light.  
  
"Ah, yes, Jairah, " Thranduil went over and kissed her on the cheek. "My daughter. Look at who has returned to us!" He motioned to Legolas, and she smiled at him, and went over and kissed his cheek softly.  
  
"Welcome home, Legolas," she whispered, as she kissed him. Her eyes locked onto his as she drew away from him, and stepped back to stand next to Thranduil again. "We have missed you."  
  
This was torture for him! He swallowed his breath that had collected his throat, and spoke.  
  
"Lady Jairah, you certainly have grown beautiful since I have been away." He said, smiling at her.  
  
"Thank you." she said, looking away from him atlast, because looking at him was starting to make her ache inside. In the presence of Thranduil, she could not let herself feel like this.  
  
There was a moment of silence before Thranduil spoke. "Come, children!" he said. "Let us go take some refreshment, and talk of Legolas' travels." He led them out of the study and out into the castle.  
  
  
  
They sat for hours and talked, or, rather, Legolas and Thranduil did. Jairah sat and listened. She didn't mind, she used this time to watch Legolas, and listen to his voice, drown in his words. Her heart leapt whenever he looked at her, and their eyes locked many times.  
  
It had gotten dark while they had talked, and finally Jairah rose from her chair and quietly excused herself, saying goodnight to Legolas and kissing Thranduil on the cheek, and left for her room. Legolas watched her leave, and then turned to his father. They would talk for a few more hours, and Legolas would find those hours almost unbearable, for he wanted to go to Jairah.  
  
When they finally finished talking, Thranduil walked with Legolas towards Legolas' rooms, and then left him there. Legolas could not go to Jairah now, he thought. It was too late and she would surely be sleeping. He thought he might just go and quietly steal into her room, but he did not want to frighten her. So defeatedly he went into his room, and dropped his things onto the floor.  
  
His rooms did not feel welcome, like Jairah's had, and that was because these were not her rooms. Again he had the urge to go to her, but he fought it down, and walked to his bedroom.  
  
"I was afraid you would talk untill the morning," came a voice from beside the window, startling him. He turned quickly and saw Jairah standing there, the light from the moon shining in her eyes, catching the colour in them.  
  
"Jairah!" he said. "What are you doing here?" her hair tumbled down over her shoulders, completely free, and wavy from the braids it had been constrained in, and she was dressed in her nightclothes.  
  
"I couldn't sleep," she said, simply, looking at him. "Are you terribly upset that I've come?" she looked at him with a glint in her eyes.  
  
Legolas smiled and shook his head. "No. I just am startled, that's all. You are lucky, though. I had thought about going to your rooms. But my father brought me here." He went around the bed to her and stopped in front of her. She looked at him, her eyes soft. She reached out and took his hand.  
  
"I am afraid, Legolas, that I was unable to sleep without you. It is my fear that I wont ever be able to again." She looked up at him and smiled. "So I came here to wait for you, in hopes that you would be able to help me sleep. But you took so long! Your father did miss you."  
  
Legolas drew her into his arms. "Ah, that he may have. But not as much as I missed you during those hours when you were not with us. " he leaned in and kissed her, and then picked her up and carried her to lay with him on his bed. She snuggled into him, and rested her head on his shoulder.  
  
"When will you tell him, about this, Legolas?" she wondered. "We cannot keep it a secret from him, for long."  
  
Legolas thought about this. He thought of what Narendil was doing for him, in Rivendell, and what he had planned for it. Soon after that, was when his father would know.  
  
"Soon, Jairah," he said, kissing the top of her head. "Soon."  
  
In the weeks that passed, Jairah and Legolas fell more in love with each other with every passing day. They had to hide it from Thranduil, of course, though he was still horribly distracted by plans he was making. They passed it off as friendship when in his presence, and in the presence of Legolas' cousins. But they spent countless hours alone in the woods, whether it be walking or talking about their lives, or sparring. Jairah was very proficient with her weapons, and Legolas had met his match in everything, except archery, where she admitted to being inferior to him. At night they stole into one of their rooms to sleep in eachother's arms, always parting before the morning came so they would not arouse suspicion. They were happy.  
  
About a month had passed, when on such a night, when Legolas slumbered in his bed, Jairah tightly encased in his strong arms, that he heard the voice of Narendil Algarelena in his sleep, telling him that his chain was ready, and that he was needed in Rivendell to complete it, the enchantment. Legolas' eyes fluttered open as Narendil's voice left his head, and he kissed Jairah's ear as he nuzzled closer to her. He would have to leave for Rivendell first thing in the morning. Narendil had finished it just in time, for it was needed for Jairah's birthday, which was next week.  
  
Jairah was not happy when she heard he had to leave for another three nights.  
  
"Why must you go? Where must you go?" She demanded, as she walked with him to the stables to retrieve his horse.  
  
"I swear to you, Jairah, I will return to you, in three days time." He promised, and he took her hand and kissed it.  
  
"It is like torture when you go," she said, tearfully. She knew she would not sleep, for she was so used to him now.  
  
He smiled at her. "It will all be made up for when I return, my love. You will understand." He said as he kissed her gently, and then climbed up on the horse and whispered to it again, to ride to Rivendell. He waved to her as the horse took off at top speed, bound for Imladris.  
  
Legolas once again rode into Rivendell and this time was met not by Elrohir and Arwen, but by Elladan, the twin brother of Elrohir. Though Thranduil and Jairah were quite familiar with him, while Legolas had stayed in Rivendell, he had been away on his own journey to the West. Legolas couldn't help but eye him suspiciously, though they had only met one or two times in their lives. He had the dignified grace of his family written in his face and in every action and word he spoke, and greeted Legolas with cool friendliness.  
  
  
  
"Legolas Greenleaf, so you return again so soon. I expect you are here to see Narendil?" he asked.  
  
"Indeed I am. Will you take care of my horse? I will return soon," Legolas said and Elladan hesitated then nodded. He leaned over to the horse and whispered in its ear, and the horse walked to the stables near by, where it seemed to be greeted by other horses.  
  
"Narendil is in his private study within his living quarters, it is past my father's study. Surely you know the way," he said and Legolas nodded, then walked off in the familiar direction.  
  
As he went up stairs, his fingers running lightly over the banister that was covered in entwined ivy leaves, he heard a voice within his mind, which sounded like Lord Elrond. He turned left and the light of the outside sky flooded the hallway, coming from Elrond's private study.  
  
"Legolas," he said and nodded to him. "Come, we must speak," Elrond said and motioned for the chair across from where he stood. Lord Elrond did not seem intimidating as many had made him out to be but then again, Legolas did not know him very well. Jairah spoke of him with great admiration for his knowledge and wisdom (he was, after all, part of the White Council), and for his understanding. "You have returned for a charm my foster-son Narendil has created for your beloved, is that true?" Elrond asked.  
  
He hesitated and nodded slightly, not knowing how he could have known that in the first place. Elrond also nodded and pressed his lips together again before speaking.  
  
"Am I also to understand that your.. beloved, is also your foster-sister? Jairah of South Mirkwood?" he asked.  
  
"...One in the same," he replied.  
  
Elrond sighed, almost in disappointment, and Legolas began to feel uncomfortable and shift in the chair he sat in. "Legolas, may I give you advice as one who has been through ages and ages of life and seen love evolve through the ages, from the time of the First Elves until now?" Elrond asked.  
  
"I will take any counsel your wisdom has to offer," Legolas said.  
  
"Very well then," he said and when he began to speak, he switched very casually to the tongue of the Silver Elves, though up to now they had been speaking in the speech of Rivendell that Legolas understood very well. "Child, you do not understand what marrying such close kin can do to the future of your family. I, as a bystander, strongly discourage against this relationship because I wish to see both you and Jairah, who I consider almost children to me, live happy and without damage to the future of your families. If you wish the best for your descendants then I strongly suggest against any plans you have in the future."  
  
Legolas listened and then looked into Elrond's patient, waiting eyes for some sign.  
  
"This is no lie, Legolas Greenleaf, and there is no other motive. Search the deepest parts of my soul but you will not find another reason for my worries except my concern for the future of you and Jairah." Legolas heard these thoughts in his mind and broke his stare away from Elrond, having searched his mind and seeing that he did not lie.  
  
"I thank you for your counsel," Legolas said and got up then walked out of the room to the room next door. He opened the door slowly and Narendil's sunlit bedroom opened to him, with a door on the right side open as well.  
  
"Legolas, is that you? Elladan told me of your arrival, come here," Narendil called out from the open door. Legolas slowly walked into the room and looked around at the library of an Istari in training, the multitude of books and matierals, of plants and flowers lining everywhere. Narendil was by the balcony of the room and was smiling at the small thing he held in his hand. "Tell me if you are content with it," he said and held it in the palm of his hand.  
  
The small charm, shaped in the symbol for Eternity, was silver and reflective, shining in the light of the room. A ray of the sun bounced off its reflective surface and hit Legolas's eye, blinding him and in his mind showing him a picture of Jairah.  
  
"Narendil, in my mind, I saw..." he began and Narendil nodded and laughed.  
  
"Indeed you did. One of the many enchantments that is contained in this jewel. A ray of the sun into one's eye brings their true love into their mind, so that a memory of you may always travel with her, as well as the other way around. But there is one other thing," he said.  
  
"What is it?" Legolas asked, his curiosity sparked.  
  
"I needed a drop of your blood and a drop of her blood for the last enchantment to be complete but of course, I could not get it from her without suspicion as well as the distance barrier. And so, take this with you, present it to her, and both of you pierce your hands, letting one drop of your blood fall in, followed by one drop of hers, and then a drop of mixed blood," Narendil said and placed the charm in Legolas's hand  
  
"What will that do?" he asked.  
  
"It is mostly for security, an enchantment I read of when studying the ancient jewels, the Silmarils crafted by Feanor, son of Finwe, an ancient ancestor of Elrond's wife who went to Aman long ago. The Valar in Valinor placed several enchantments on these stones to keep them safe from the hands of evil since they held the light of the sacred trees. But this is not time for a history lesson. Point is, if anyone whose blood is not within the metal touches the charm or the chain, it will burn their flesh, leaving a mark on it for all eternity," Narendil said.  
  
"It is wonderful, dear friend, thank you," Legolas said and he looked at the charm in fascination. "I must be going, I promised I would return in three days and I never break a promise," he said and Narendil nodded.  
  
"Go, go on, this smithing lore has interested me for a great while and I think I will make many more precious jewels such as that which you hold. Always know that you had the first," Narendil said. Legolas smiled and walked out of the room, and pass Lord Elrond's study, where he felt the glare of his eyes drilling into his soul. As he walked outside, the horse was waiting for him, this time Elrohir caring for it and not the other brother, much to Legolas's relief.  
  
"Ride safely, Master Elf," he said and smiled.  
  
I knew I always liked him best, Legolas silently thought to himself and nodded to the brother, then rode past the gates of Rivendell as fast as the horse could take him.  
  
The horse had gotten smarter, and faster. On the morning of the third day, so early it was still dark, Legolas reached the gates of Mirkwood, which pleased him because he'd come home earlier, and Jairah's trust would now grow in him. He knew she greatly disliked it when he left.  
  
He sent the horse to the stables, and then quietly hurried up the stairs to Jairah's room, and quietly turned the handle to the door, as not to wake her if she was sleeping. He was not surprised to find that she was not, she was looking at the door as it opened, one hand underneath her pillow.  
  
His eyes twinkled at her as he silently stepped into the room, and closed the door behind him. "What have you got under there, Lady?" he asked, a smile coming onto his lips. His absence had taken it's toll on her, her eyes were a bit darkened around the edges, she'd not slept. He felt her weariness. She was still beautiful, sitting there in her pretty white gossamer nightgown, her long hair spilling down her arms and over her shoulders, framing her face. He came now and sat next to her on the bed, and drew her hand out from under her pillow, a look of deviance on his face.  
  
In her hand she held a dagger, a very beautiful silver dagger. For a split second he wondered if this too was from Elladan, and he was jealous, untill he saw the writing on it was that of the Silver Elves and it was from his father. Then the jealousy washed away, as he looked at her and smiled.  
  
"What were you planning on doing with that?" he asked, as he held her hand with the dagger in it, in his, at arms length, staring at the blade.  
  
She looked at him, and in all seriousness replied. "One must protect herself, Legolas. When one sees her doorknob turning in the middle of the night, she must pull her dagger to be safe."  
  
Legolas moved closer to her, closing off the distance between their bodies, and put his arms around her midsection, as she still sat, her head against the headboard, propped up. "Even if the person sneaking into the lovely lady's room is her lover?" he whispered, and looked at her.  
  
Jairah looked at him, her eyes flashing, and with one fast motion she had the dagger at his throat. She leaned in, her lips next to his cheek. "Especially if he is her lover," she whispered back, and kissed him on the cheek before retracting the blade, and throwing it across the room, where it sunk itself into the wall almost silently, and squarely, next to a candleholder.  
  
Legolas looked at her with wide eyes, and she turned to him and smiled. 'You are home early," she said joyfully. "I have missed you!" The threatening look she had just had vanished.  
  
He nodded. "I swore to you, Jairah, that I would return. I will never break a promise to you."  
  
"And I believe you now," she said, and reached up and took his face in her hands, and kissed him, gently, for a long moment. Peace flooded the both of them again, and Jairah's troubled heart from the absence of her beloved was now eased.  
  
When she released him, she settled herself down in his arms and stroked his hair. "So where did you go?" she asked. "What did you have to do, that you were away? You said I would know when you came back.."  
  
He smiled at her and took her hands away from his hair, and kissed them. "Not yet, Jairah. Not quite yet. Soon all answers will be told." Her eyes scanned him, she wanted to know why he'd gone, but he gave no answers. He found the slightly frustrated look she gave him irresistable and he kissed her forehead and told her with his mind to sleep, because he knew she had not in the time he'd been gone. She obeyed, laying her head down next to his shoulder and closing her eyes, a deep sigh coming from her chest, and Legolas rubbed her shoulder. He thought of the chain and the pendant that lay hidden in the bottom of his quiver, waiting to be given to her. He would give them to her on her birthday in a few days, but in private. He would also ask her something, that he hoped she'd say yes to, for if she didn't…  
  
He thought of Elladan again, of how he had felt when he'd seen the elf in Rivendell just two days ago. The thought of him wanting, and loving what belonged to Legolas now made him ever the more jealous of the relationship that had transpired between Jairah and Elladan. He knew he had something more than that with her, that her heart belonging to him was something that Elladan had never known, but it still ate at him that Elladan might know things about Jairah that Legolas did not. Legolas did not know how he could make up for this. There had to be some way, and what he had planned did not seem quite enough.  
  
The words of Lord Elrond also rang in his ears, about how he thought that Legolas and Jairah were not meant to be together, for the sake of their family. But Legolas and Jairah were not blood family, nor were they even distant kin. They had discovered that, one day, by tracing their family trees. Lord Elrond's fears were in vain, Legolas decided, once and for all. He was not going to heed the word of him. He knew what he felt in his heart and he could feel what Jairah felt for him. He had seen her when the sun had glinted off of the pendant in Rivendell, and Narendil had told him that one of the enchantments would make him see his true love. He had seen Jairah. That was enough for him.  
  
Too many thoughts clouded his head, and he leaned down and kissed Jairah's forehead again, and she was deep in sleep as he did so, her fingers curling around his forearm. She sighed a little, and he closed his eyes and was comforted by her breath close to his ear.  
  
Jairah's birthday dawned bright, it was indeed a lovely day. Just a week before Midsummer's Eve, the sun was shining and Thranduil had torn himself away from his plans to oversee a small celebration for her, as he had every year. The cousins and Legolas and Thranduil and of course Jairah danced and ate and celebrated Jairah's life in the typical fashion of the elves, and Jairah was presented with gifts from all. She received many new dresses and pretty things from the cousins, who all wanted to out do the others. Jairah thanked them all and laughed inwardly at their efforts, and looked with twinkling eyes at Legolas, who was extremely amused. He knew that his gift would be quite better than any of these small things she'd received.  
  
Thranduil brought out his gifts next, along with a basket that was adorned with several silk bows. "This," he said, "Is a gift from Rivendell." Jairah looked at it with wide eyes, and looked at Legolas quickly.  
  
"From whom?" she asked Thranduil. "Lord Elrond?"  
  
Thrandul shook his head. "No, from your friend, Elladan." He smiled at her. "Open it, child! It just arrived this morning."  
  
Jairah pulled the silk covering off of the basket, and her eyes opened even wider when she saw what was inside. She reached in with shaking hands and pulled out a lovely silver headband, adorned with sapphires. It was very delicate, intricately made, the metal looking to be woven and shaped to fit just Jairah's head.  
  
Jairah couldn't speak. Thranduil looked at it and smiled again. "Beautiful. How lovely of Elladan to send you such a beautiful thing for your birthday."  
  
Jairah looked at Legolas, whose eyes had gotten cloudy with jealousy. He turned on his heel and walked away from the table where they were sitting, into the woods. Jairah's eyes followed him for a moment, troubled, and then she set the headband back in the basket and smiled at Thranduil, who offered her his gift.  
  
"You are old enough for this now. I have kept it for you, all these long years." He handed her a beautiful silver sword.  
  
Jairah's eyes filled with tears, and she momentarily forgot about Legolas and his jealousy. In her hands she held her father's sword, the one called lumenn jairah – the light of jairah. It had been one of three swords that he'd held at various times, but this one he'd named after her, and wielded most of the time. It had been the sword he'd died carrying.  
  
She looked at Thranduil, trying to thank him without saying a word. He understood and stood up and kissed the top of her head. "It is yours now. You will use it well, I have no doubt." Jairah nodded, and brushed the tears from her face. She could not stop staring at the sword.  
  
Legolas watched her from the woods, trying to overcome his jealousy. The headband, from Elladan. He had no doubt that the wizard had made it for Jairah, though he did not hold it against him. Elladan was like his brother and Narendil was a kind wizard. But the fact that Elladan had sent it was enough.  
  
She does not love him, he reasoned. She has told me this. Her heart belongs to me. She will hide that trinket away with the rest of them. So, taking a deep breath, he walked back to the celebration, and joined them again, waiting for a time when he could be alone with her, to give her the pendant.  
  
He got such a chance after night fell, after his father had retreated to his study. He took Jairah out into the woods for a walk, underneath the moonlight. They had walked a little ways into the grove, where he'd seen her on the first day he'd been back, when he stopped her.  
  
"Jairah," he said, and took her hand. She smiled at him.  
  
"Yes?" she said, looking into his eyes, with the intensity that she always did.  
  
"Those answers, that you asked for, my love? You are about to receive them." Legolas said, and reached into his coat.  
  
Jairah furrowed her brow. "What do you speak of?" She was lost, the days events leaving her searching her thoughts for what he could be talking about.  
  
Legolas pulled out the long silver chain and held the pendant in his hand, hidden from view, and looked into her eyes. He was a bit nervous, a feeling that wasn't familiar to him.  
  
'Jairah," he whispered, reaching out and taking her hand, and she felt the apprehension in him, and was instantly worried.  
  
"Legolas?" she asked, and reached up and touched his face. "You are not leaving me again, are you?"  
  
He looked up at her and shook his head. "No!" he said, smiling, some of the apprehension eased. "Oh, no. I wanted to tell you why I had gone, for that time when I did."  
  
Jairah's worry passed. "Oh," she said, relaxing, and looked at him expectantly, her eyes searching his.  
  
He held out his hand to her, the pendant in it. "This was the reason I went away." She looked down and her breath caught in her throat. It was beautiful, too beautiful for words. It sparkled in the moonlight, though it was just a simple bit of silver, shaped to be the character for the word "Eternity", in their language.  
  
For the second time that day, tears flooded Jairah's eyes, and she looked up at Legolas.  
  
"You had this made for me?" she asked, her voice wavering. He nodded.  
  
She sighed, in happiness. She did not know what to say. She did not move to take it from him. She stood still and looked at him, love and admiration in her eyes. He saw it, and the jealousy from Elladan's gift was completely removed from his soul, and it made it slightly easier to go ahead with the next part of his plan.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, stepping closer to her. 'I had to go to away for this to be made, for it is special. It was made especially for you by a friend of mine, in Rivendell. It is enchanted, this pendant. But it is not complete, one of the enchantments. For that I need your help."  
  
She looked at him, questioning in her eyes now. He took a deep breath, and took her hand from her, and then took out his dagger, and quickly poked her finger. She gasped in pain, and watched as a drop of blood fell from her finger onto the pendant as he held her hand, and disappeared as it hit the silver. She looked up at Legolas with wide eyes, and then down again as she watched him cut his own finger, and let a drop of his own blood fall onto the pendant, with the same result.  
  
He looked up at her; she was still looking down at the pendant, marveling at how the blood had disappeared. He reached out and took her face in his hand.  
  
"Jairah," he said, nervous again. "I need to ask you something," he took a deep breath.  
  
"Yes?" she whispered, barely audible. Her eyes were searching him again, as if she knew what he was going to say.  
  
Another deep breath. "I do not want to be in this world, Jairah, unless you are here with me, always. I love you, and I know that you wish for freedom, and I wish to give you that. We would not have to be married for years, not until you wanted to be… but would you give me… would you give me your hand?" He looked up at her.  
  
Her face was solemn. For a split second he was afraid she was going to say no. But she leaned in, her hand still in his, and kissed him gently, and touched his face with her bleeding hand, and nodded, tears coming into her eyes. Legolas broke away from her and took the bleeding finger and quickly pressed it to his own, and touched them to the pendant, and they both received a shock as the blood disappeared from their fingers, the cuts vanishing.  
  
Happiness flooded through him as he motioned for Jairah to turn around and he fixed the pendant around her neck.. He swept her up into his arms and she laughed, and then they kissed and he ran with her, deeper into the woods, where nobody would find them, where they could hide.  
  
They reached a thicket and he dropped to his knees and released her, and she was out of breath, but she looked up at him and smiled. She looked radiant under the moon, and the pendant caught the light again and made her eyes light up. Her hair had fallen out of the braids it was in and he brushed it back out her face, and as he did she leaned up and kissed him, knocking him over onto his back. She began to pull on his coat and managed to get it off of him while she was still kissing him, and then she wrapped her arms around him and placed her head on his chest, and he kissed the top of her head.  
  
"I can hear your heart," she said to him, quietly, turning her head to look at him, and smiling.  
  
"What does it say?" he asked her, grinning.  
  
She closed her eyes and listened. "I dare not say those things aloud," she said, sighing. "For such things are unheard of!" she giggled.  
  
"Oh yes?' Legolas said. "Let me listen to your heart, and hear what it speaks." He pulled her up to him, and leaned up and placed his ear on her chest, very near to where the pendant hung. Jairah stroked his hair as he did so, and kissed his ear.  
  
He looked up at her, and gave her a look. 'Your heart is no better than mine, Lady," he said. 'Yours speaks of the same unspeakable things!"  
  
She looked at him. "Perhaps it does," she said softly. "It speaks of things that it does not know of."  
  
Legolas stopped, pleasantly surprised by this. Jairah had never shared her body with another. He had not thought so, but had not ruled it out, the thought of Elladan had always been in the back of his mind. Now he shook Elladan and everything else but her out of his mind.  
  
He leaned up and kissed her again, and soon they were nothing but skin in this meadow, deep in the throes of love. There was nothing but their love for eachother, and all the time in the world.  
  
Legolas held her afterwards, and he felt content, and he kissed her as she was asleep. He'd covered her with his coat, for all she wore was the silver pendant against her flesh. She was now completely his, and now he would go to his father and ask for her, and they would be free to be together forever.  
  
It was the middle of the night in Rivendell, the room where Elladan slept, the moonlight falling through the open window upon his face, which turned from a peaceful expression to a troubled one. He saw it in his mind. Legolas taking out his dagger and pricking his finger and Jairah's, melting into the silver, their love in the thicket... his eyes opened wide and he rose from his bed, walking to his father's study. He wondered when exactly his father slept, but it seemed that he never did; he was always studying, the ideal scholar, like his foster-son Narendil. This time the both of them were there speaking and looked up surprised to see Elladan standing at the doorway.  
  
"Elladan, you look as if you've seen a ghost, what is the matter with you?" Narendil asked in a worried voice.  
  
"We must go to Mirkwood. Immediately," Elladan said, the promise coming into his mind, the one he had made to Jairah, about belonging to him by the next Midsummer's. It was five days away, and there was limited time.  
  
"You have seen it in your mind, then," Elrond said and held up a piece of parchment that was written on.  
  
"Seen what?" he asked, squinting to see the paper from where he stood.  
  
"The letter from Thranduil, Jairah's foster-father. He has approved of you to have the hand of Lady Jairah. The engagement will be announced on Midsummer's Day, and we will go to Mirkwood immediately," Elrond replied.  
  
"He has agreed to it? And Jairah... what does she say?" Elladan asked, walking into the room.  
  
"He writes that she was moved to tears with the gift that you sent to her and has not removed it from her head since," Elrond said. It was the truth, though Jairah knew better than to see Legolas that night with the headband on.  
  
"I mean about the marriage, father, what does she say?" Elladan asked in an almost pleading voice.  
  
"He does not mention it, but for a woman to weep over a headband, of all things, she must feel quite fond of you," Elrond replied and silently thought about what he had told Legolas.  
  
"In my defense, Lord Elrond, the headband looked more like a crown than a headband," Narendil said and Elrond smiled at the pride his foster-son had in his work.  
  
"I saw it, and I do believe it. Now, will you be coming with us to Mirkwood for the celebration?" Elrond asked to Narendil  
  
"Of course I will, I would not miss it," Narendil said. He then stood up and yawned purposely. "If we are leaving by morning, I must bring some things to give to Legolas, he does not trust the smiths of Mirkwood as much as me anymore," Narendil said and laughed as he walked out of Elrond's study and to his own room. Panic filled his mind, thinking of the charm that he had made for Legolas to give to Jairah. This was going to be a Midsummer's Day to remember. He headed into his room and packed into his travelling sack a notebook to write in and his handmade dagger. Just in case.  
  
"Children, dear children!" Thranduil cried the next morning as he walked into the large room where they shared their meals. Legolas and Jairah sat across from each other and looked up at their father to see what had happened.  
  
"Father, are you all right?" Legolas asked.  
  
"Fabulous, absolutely fabulous, dear boy. I have news," he said as he sat down at the head of the table. "I am sorry you have not seen much of me in these past weeks, but everything I have been planning is now coming together!" he said and could not remove the grin from his face.  
  
"Tell us father, tell us," Jairah said.  
  
"Daughter... sweet daughter..." he said and she saw Legolas's face turn from excitement to dread at the mention of his father calling her 'daughter'. Damn. "In four days on the feast of Midsummer's, someone will be arriving here," he said.  
  
"Who will be arriving?" she asked, and as he said it, the churning in her stomach began and almost made her sick.  
  
"Elladan of Rivendell, with his entire family, including the young Istari that is friends with Legolas," he said and smiled widely, and Jairah weakly returned his smile, but then he began to speak again. "That is but one part of the news, though I know how fond of Elladan you have been all these years," Thranduil said and Jairah began to feel faint, imagining Legolas's clear eyes narrowing in hatred and jealousy.  
  
"Oh father.. what is the second part?" she asked, her voice getting weaker.  
  
Thranduil smiled and knelt in front of Jairah and held her hand, then looked up at her. "Daughter, four days from now, you will be a bride, bride none other than to Elladan, son of Lord Elrond," he said seriously and then kissed her hand and got up to his feet. He looked at Legolas who had on his widest smile, on the inside the anger and wrath building up in his mind. "This indeed is a wonderful match, absolutely wonderful. Elrond wrote to me months ago telling me of the devotion his son has to Jairah and these months have been spent planning the Midsummer's feast which will unite the lands of Mirkwood and Rivendell," Thranduil said.  
  
"That's wonderful father... simply wonderful," Legolas said in a voice tinged with sarcasm his father did not notice.  
  
"But there is more!" Thranduil said and Jairah looked up at him again with wide eyes, her face gone pale now.  
  
"More? Do not tell me I am to bear his son while he is here as well," she said and he laughed heartily and walked around the table to his son.  
  
"On that very same feast of Midsummer's, I will announce the future heir to North Mirkwood, that is, your brother Legolas," he said.  
  
"I will be heir to South Mirkwood as well," Jairah said.  
  
"Indeed you will daughter," he said and the pain shot through her body again  
  
"Father... as a present to.. my brother.. on my wedding day," she began and stood up, feeling completely weak and nauseous, "I wish to make him the prince of South Mirkwood, let him have the land of my father," she said and smiled. She could not have the stress of a kingdom now that her future was being smashed with Thranduil's pretty silver hammer of doom.  
  
"Do you mean that, daughter?" Thranduil asked and Jairah nodded, then before she could speak again, she fainted flat on the floor, the color rushing away from her face, leaving her the figure of a tragic elven death.  
  
Narendil had fashioned for himself in the past weeks a ring with a seeing stone in it, much like the palantirs of the world except not powerful and for only his use. He looked into the stone which began to churn once it realized it was being looked into and his mind he saw the vision of Jairah falling flat on the floor, and the first thought that came into his mind was her death.  
  
"She has fallen into shadow," he murmured, but the traveling troupe of the family of Elrond did not notice what he said. In his mind he saw Legolas kneeling by her, almost weeping, cradling her head, his father by her struggling to move his son and pick up his foster-daughter. The scene playing out almost moved him to tears, which his own foster-sister, Arwen, noticed.  
  
"Algarelena, you weep, and I ask why, since we are headed to Mirkwood for a blessed ocassion," she said softly.  
  
"I... I feel a heaviness on my heart, that when we reach Mirkwood, it will not be happy tidings that welcome us," he said softly in return. He saw Elrond's head ahead of him move and his ears slightly turn to the back where the two of them rode. He must be cautious, he thought silently.  
  
"That is your small palantir ring," she asked and he nodded sadly. "That is also the reason why more palantirs were not made. Sometimes it is not wise or satisfying to see into the future. Relax, brother, for the horse you ride feels your pain and we will not reach Mirkwood in time," she replied and rode a bit ahead to talk to her brother Elrohir. Narendil looked into the ring again and saw Jairah's beautiful face deathly pale, and sighed, wiping the solitary tear from his cheek.  
  
  
  
While the house of Elrond were making their way towards the Dark Forest of Mirkwood, Legolas sat by Jairah's bedside, high up in her room in the castle. She had been sleeping for several hours now, after her fainting at the breakfast table that morning. She had not come round, and Thranduil had left her side earlier, leaving Legolas to say he would watch over her during the night.  
  
His mind was ablaze in anger. How could his father give Jairah to Elladan? He knew she wasn't happy about it at all. It was why she was now in her current state. he knew it wasn't her decision and that inside she was probably terrified.  
  
  
  
the thought of Elladan spending the rest of his life on middle earth with Legolas' true love torched his soul. And Jairah's heart did not belong to Elladan, she'd proven it to Legolas just the other night, in the meadow. She loved him, she wanted to be with him.  
  
He moved into the bed with her, now, and took her into his arms, and sighed. He felt her move within his arms and looked at her, she was coming round. She felt his arms around her and she cowered into them, reaching up and grasping his shoulders and pressing her face into his chest for a moment before snapping back and looking at him.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, pushing a lock of her hair behind her ear, and leaning over to kiss her forehead, but she recoiled and pushed herself away from him, and she slipped and fell backwards out of her bed, and pushed herself against the wall, tears coming into her eyes.  
  
"Tell me, Legolas, that it was a dream," she said, shaking a little. "Tell me that your father did not say that I was to be married to Elladan."  
  
Legolas looked at her sadly, and did not respond, just stared at her from where he sat on the bed. That moment of silence was enough for her to get angry and push herself up from the wall, and go to the window, and stare outside angrily, as if she could see the house of Elrond approaching from far away, her impending doom.  
  
"Did you tell him, Legolas, of your plans to marry me?" she asked, quietly, turning her eyes to him now, the intensity in them almost on fire again.  
  
He almost shuddered under her gaze, as he shook his head. "No." he whispered, and she moved quickly from the window and came up to him.  
  
"You did not? Why did you not? Do you not care for me enough to ask your father for my hand?" She looked at him, her face contorted with anger.  
  
He took her hands. "Jairah, I could not! How could I disobey my father after he had made such an announcement? I could not say anything."  
  
Jairah looked at him, and withdrew her hands from him. "Legolas Greenleaf, you are treading very dangerously here. I gave you my heart, I gave you my body. How could you not ask for me after such a thing? Tell me, how did you feel after your father announced that I would marry Elladan?"  
  
Legolas looked at her, his eyes reflecting hurt. "How do you think, Jairah? My heart ached. Do you think I want you to marry Elladan? No! you belong to me!"  
  
"And yet you could not tell your father this? You are a coward, Legolas Greenleaf! And as such I do not mean anything to you, then!" Jairah furiously started to pace the room.  
  
Legolas rose from the bed and tried to go to Jairah, but she brushed him away from her angrily.  
  
"No! Don't you touch me. I regret ever letting you. I regret it. You are a coward!" she repeated again, turning to him, and she put her hands about her neck and fumbled to release the chain that she had hidden underneath her dress. She tore it loose after she got it apart and held it out to him. "Take this!" she said, angrily pushing it into his hand.  
  
He looked at her, his heart beginning to tear. "Jairah, no. Don't do this, I gave this to you with every intention of asking my father for you, it's just…"  
  
Her eyes flashed again. "No!" she said, and shoved it into his hand and pushed his hand closed. "I will not keep it. I will marry Elladan, for he is atleast not afraid to voice his feelings for me. Now go away from me. I do not wish to see you."  
  
Legolas stared at her, for he did not believe what she had just said. She couldn't possibly mean it.  
  
"Jairah.. no. I will not allow you to say these things, you cannot mean them." He stepped toward her again.  
  
She looked at him with a look of absolute disgust on her face, then stepped forward towards a dresser and picked up the headband that Elladan had sent her for her birthday, and placed it gently on her head, then looked at him again.  
  
"Leave, Legolas Greenleaf, my brother. Leave me now. I do not wish to see you." The look of contempt on her face was enough to make him sick.  
  
He stayed rooted to the spot, staring at her, the pain in his heart reflecting in his eyes. "Jairah, please, don't do this to me."  
  
"Don't do this to you?" she spat out, as if it tasted bad. "You are the one who cannot "disobey" your own father for love, for me."  
  
"Jairah, please," he reached out to her, and caught hold of her arm as she walked past him angrily, and she struck him hard as he did so, making him release her.  
  
"I told you to leave me!" she said, her voice raised, though tears brimmed in her eyes, she lowered her hand slowly, and moved forward and pushed him out the door, and shut it in his face. Then she turned, tore Elladan's headband off her head, and started to cry uncontrollably, but went and buried her face in the bed so he would not hear.  
  
He felt her anguish anyway. Ever since they had consummated in the meadow, he could feel her feelings and this was killing him, but he turned and walked away from her door, his mind and heart in pain.  
  
Like the prophecy of Narendil said, the family of Elrond was not greeted at Mirkwood with happy tidings, at least not by the children of Mirkwood. Jairah fell into a cold spell towards Legolas, despising him with all the hatred in her heart that was possible. Hatred for believing him to be a brave soul when in fact he was afraid of his own father. Hatred for having given herself to him in mind, body and soul and then seeing that he was not who he appeared to be. Her eyes sparkled when she was everyone else, and then when she bumped into Legolas (fairly often since there were not many places to hide in Mirkwood), the frosty cold came over her heart again and her eyes became like daggers, killing him as slowly and painfully as was possible.  
  
Thranduil noticed how depressed Legolas had been and attributed the distress to the new responsibility put on him, that he would have to now learn the ways of the kingship in order to take the throne when his father went to Aman. It was difficult but part of the life and his destiny, and it had to be done. But Thranduil did not show his distress about his son openly so as not to draw evil spirits to Jairah's wedding, which was approaching quickly.  
  
Legolas was a walking shadow of death, never smiling or looking in the least bit happy. He reproached himself for being a coward but at the same time feared what his father would say. He could not ask for Jairah in marriage because Thranduil would say no, claiming kinship through adoption, much too close to marry. Then, Thranduil would most likely send Jairah away to Rivendell with Elladan to get Legolas's mind away from the foolishness of marrying her. He dreaded being away from her, especially when she was thrown into the arms of Elladan (though what worried him more was that now she willingly walked into them). At least now he was able to see her, even if every time they locked eyes, he saw her icy heart towards him.  
  
Jairah believed in her heart of hearts that she now felt nothing for Legolas except betrayal for giving up so quickly on the life they could have had together. Because of this, she did not hesitate to wear Elladan's crown upon her head without shame. On Midsummer's Eve, the day before the great feast in Mirkwood, people were arriving from all parts of Mirkwood and small valleys around the Misty Mountains.  
  
But it was not until dusk that the sound of hooves was heard once more before the entrance to Mirkwood and excitement rose in Jairah, dread in Legolas. She saw in the distance the falling sun glint off a shining piece of silver, which she knew to be the crown Lord Elrond wore on his head always. But from the back of the arriving party, a grey horse rode forward between the twin brothers and past Elrond, running quickly towards the entrance where Thranduil, Jairah and Legolas stood to greet their most important of guests. Jairah wanted to look her best and greeted them wearing a dress Arwen Undomiel had made for her on her birthday in Rivendell years ago and Elladan's crown, wrought by the hands of Narendil.  
  
Narendil Algarelena leaped off his horse and at the sight of Jairah, who he feared dead, walked quickly towards her and smiled at her, and touched the crown he made for her. "I feared that you would not like sapphires, lady, but the sapphire is my favorite of stones and it looks beautiful with your eyes," he said and kissed her hand. Soon, Elrond, Arwen Undomiel, Elladan and Elrohir arrived at the entrance and dismounted from their horses, giving greetings to everyone there.  
  
Lord Elrond greeted Legolas last and saw the distraught feelings in his eyes and felt pity in his heart for him. "I see you have taken my advice, Legolas of Mirkwood," he said somberly.  
  
"Not by any choice of mine," he replied sadly. He looked past Elrond at Elladan dismounting from his horse, and he walked up to Jairah, who stood next to Thranduil. Elladan reached out and took her hand in his and leaned in and kissed her forehead, then drew her into his arms tightly, a smile on his lips.  
  
She smiled at him sweetly and stroked his cheek, saying quietly enough only for Legolas to hear, "Friend, lover, husband, you have kept your promise." To see Elladan smile and embrace his bride once again, the bliss Legolas himself had felt only three days past written all over his face, drove him into a rage beyond all others which he kept deep inside his heart. Elrohir and Arwen came to him to embrace him and he put it away deep inside, talking to the siblings, keeping one eye constantly on Jairah and Elladan, who were inseperable.  
  
Jairah looked over her shoulder at one point after her many displays of affection towards Elladan and saw Legolas smiling and laughing with Narendil and Elrohir, and felt a sadness in her heart. She expected to see him sulking, absolutely driven mad with jealousy, to take her hand away from Elladan's and demand for her in marriage to Thranduil right then and there. But he had not moved from his spot. Her joyous expression fell and Thranduil noticed this, but did not say anything. The feelings that he had been getting from his children lately were enough to worry anyone, but such is the distress of growing children. Anguish over the smallest things, which only time could cure, or so he thought.  
  
Narendil felt the distress in both Legolas and Jairah. He watched as Elladan took Jairah's hand in his and began to lead her away from everyone else, so he might have a quiet moment with her, before the festivities would begin. He looked at Legolas, who was standing next to him, and the elf's eyes were fixed on them, and he could feel the extreme jealousy and rage inside of him. He turned to him and placed a hand on his shoulder.  
  
"Come, friend," he said. "Walk with me, for a moment." He motioned to the opposite direction from where Elladan had taken Jairah, and they walked a short ways, out of earshot of the others, before Narendil stopped and turned to Legolas.  
  
"I feel the pain in you, my friend," he said. "You do not need to hide it from me."  
  
With those words, Legolas sighed and the mask he'd put on disappeared, and he leaned against a railing and put his head in his hands.  
  
"You cannot imagine it, Narendil. The agony in my heart, she despises me." Legolas looked at Narendil, tears coming into his eyes. "I love her, beyond all my own knowledge. She is promised to your brother. I cannot abide it, and yet I can do nothing."  
  
"I know, I have seen it," Narendil said, a grim expression on his face. "And though I love Elladan as though he were my blood brother, I know her heart lies with you. She is distressed, on the inside. Even now, when she pretends to be overjoyed."  
  
Legolas looked at him, his eyes wide. "Yes?" he said, beginning to feel a bit hopeful. "What do you mean? She does not want to marry Elladan?"  
  
Narendil nodded. "Her heart is troubled, Legolas. She is very angry, she wishes to hurt you as badly as you have hurt her."  
  
"She already has succeeded in that," Legolas said, again turning grim, and reached into his coat and pulled out the long silver chain and pendant that Narendil had made for Jairah. He had refused to put it away, and instead had put it around his own neck, so that he would have some part of her with him.  
  
Narendil looked at it sadly, and shook his head. "That charm was meant to bring happiness to its bearer," he said. "Instead I fear it has brought nothing but heartache."  
  
Legolas reached out and touched Narendil on the shoulder. "No, my friend. It did indeed bring happiness to us, even if it was only for a short time. It is not of your doing. She loved it. But she refused to keep it, when I did not fight for her."  
  
Narendil looked at Legolas. He wanted so to help him, he knew he loved Jairah, and that they belonged together. But he did not know if he should meddle in these affairs, for Elladan was his brother, and he feared the repercussions of Elrond and Thranduil.  
  
"I will try to speak with her, Legolas." Narendil said. "But I do not know what will come of it. We will see."  
  
They sat in silence, each with their own thoughts.  
  
On the other side of the castle, Elladan was walking with Jairah, his heart very light. Her heart, on the other hand, was very dark. She did not want to be walking with him. She hated feigning affection for him. She did not want to marry him.  
  
Elladan had led Jairah into the woods a little ways, and Jairah was lost in her own thoughts as she let him lead her. She did not hear Elladan making small pleasantries, speaking of the weather in Rivendell and of what he'd been doing there. It wasn't untill he'd stopped them that she was jolted out of her thoughts.  
  
He leaned in to stroke her hair, gently. He touched the band in her hair, and smiled. "Narendil did well with this," he said. "It is beautiful on you."  
  
She smiled at him, and he leaned in and kissed her, gently, on the lips, and she winced internally at this intimate gesture. She stiffly tried to return the kiss, but Elladan did not notice. When he broke away from her, she sighed and looked up at the sky as he continued to stroke her hair.  
  
"I am so happy, Jairah," he whispered to her. "In just a short time, we will be married, and my heart will be completed."  
  
Jairah looked at him, taking her gaze off the sky. "As will mine, Elladan." She whispered, and looked past him, and realized that she was in the very same thicket where she and Legolas had made love just days before, and she felt sick with the words she had just spoken. She closed her eyes for a moment and she saw Legolas, gently kissing her skin as she lay beneath him, their bodies locked together in love.  
  
Her eyes flew open, and she saw Elladan looking at her, love shining in his eyes, and a tear slipped down her face, and he caught it with his finger.  
  
"Why do you cry, my love?" he asked, visibly concerned.  
  
She smiled and shook her head, and stepped back from him. "It is because I am so happy," she lied. "But I must go, now, and have some rest before the festivities begin. Will you walk me back to the castle?"  
  
Elladan nodded, and took her hand again, and kissed it, and began to walk her back. She looked over her shoulder at the thicket and her heart burned with pain.  
  
Narendil watched them return from the woods, and as Jairah gently gave Elladan a small kiss on his cheek at the doors to the castle. Legolas drew in his breath noisily and turned away, retreating into the woods to clear his head, and so he would not have the urge to attack Elladan, who was walking away from Jairah with a blissful smile on his face.  
  
Jairah had gone into the castle, and made her way up to her rooms. She'd closed the door behind her, and gone into the room where she bathed and tore the band from her hair. She despised it, loathed it, even though it had been made by the kind Istari. She looked at her reflection in the mirror and she felt like smashing the mirror in anger, but instead she turned away and went back into her bedroom and threw herself down on her bed. She felt sour inside, very sour. She was forced to marry one she did not love, and the one she did love would not fight for her, would not voice his feelings for her. She should just run away from here, but it was too late for such a thing.  
  
Angry tears slipped down her face. She knew she must marry Elladan, she was doing it in part to hurt Legolas, for being a coward. She felt his pain, she had felt it every single time she'd come in contact with him. Now that they had meshed their bodies together, shared their essences, she felt his feelings more profoundly than ever before, and she felt only pain coming from him, and though this hurt her more than she could bear, it gave her a bit of satisfaction. That was why she so readily was affectionate towards Elladan in his presence, alongside the fact that she must do so for Thranduil's benefit.  
  
She began to sob, when she heard a soft knock on her door. She hoped that it was not Elladan, come to see her again, when she had told him that she needed rest.  
  
She rose from the bed, and brushed the tears from her face, and tried to look as if she had not been crying. Then she took a deep breath and opened the door.  
  
Outside stood the young Istari scholar, Narendil Algarelena. He slowly bowed to Jairah as she looked at him in surprise.  
  
"Lady Jairah," he said, smiling at her, and reached out and took her face in his hands. She felt herself relax a bit, some of the immense pain inside subsiding, and she looked at him, into his kind eyes.  
  
"Sir Narendil," she said, motioning for him to come into her room, and he released her and moved into the room, and she shut the door behind him. "What brings you to me?" she asked, softly.  
  
He looked around her room, then turned to her, a sad smile on his face.  
  
"You need not hide the pain inside of you, Jairah," he said to her. "I know you have it. I have felt it, and seen it since you fainted at the announcement of your engagement to my foster-brother, Elladan."  
  
Jairah looked at him with wide eyes. "How do you know this?" she asked, softly, tears coming into her eyes, as she looked away from him.  
  
"It is not important, at this moment, how I know. I have come to speak with you about another matter." Narendil pulled something from his robes, and held it out to Jairah. She turned to look at it, and winced when she saw it. It was the chain and pendant that Legolas had given to her, the one she'd returned to him.  
  
"Lady Jairah," he said, coming closer to her. "I have made this for you, the first of it's kind. Why do you not wear it?"  
  
Jairah shuddered when she looked at the pendant. "I cannot." She said simply, and looked at Narendil squarely. "He who gave it to me is a coward, and when he gave it to me I was under the impression that he intended to ask his father for me. But I was mistaken. I cannot keep it."  
  
Narendil sighed. "Jairah, you must stop this. Legolas is in agony, you are hurting him very much. True, you cannot stop the fact that you will be married to Elladan. But Legolas loves you."  
  
Jairah shook her head. "He does not." She said. "He would not ask his father for me, not even after he heard that I was to be married to Elladan. He would not fight for me."  
  
"He could not, Jairah. Do you not see how hard it is for Legolas to ask such a thing of his father? Especially after the announcement that you would be given to Elladan? Thranduil sees you both as his children. You, as his only daughter, and Legolas as his only son. Legolas could not disobey his father's word."  
  
Jairah just kept on shaking her head. "You have spoken the truth, Narendil. He does not love me." She looked at him sadly.  
  
"Do you love him still? You do not love Elladan, and do not try to tell me that you do, for I can tell if you are lying."  
  
"You speak the truth, I do not love Elladan more than just as a friend. But I have not the choice as to marrying him or not, it has already been decided." She went to the window, and looked out, only to see Legolas staring up at her window. She hid herself off to the side, so he would not see her staring down at him.  
  
Narendil stared at her. "You did not answer me, Lady Jairah. I asked you, if you loved Legolas still?"  
  
Jairah turned to the wiizard, tears glistening in her eyes. "Of course I do, Narendil. I know peace only when I am with him. But that cannot be helped now. He refused to fight for me, he refused to ask for me. And he cannot disobey his father as much as I cannot disobey him. I must marry Elladan. Legolas' cowardice has made sure of that."  
  
Narendil sighed again. "You will break his heart, Lady." He said, and turned to leave the room, but not before laying the pendant down on Jairah's dresser, then going out the door, shutting it behind him.  
  
Jairah looked out the window again, this time letting herself be seen. She saw Legolas looking up at her, and their eyes met, and she felt his anguish, and could feel hers coming up out of her chest again, and the sobs threatened to burst out of her mouth.  
  
She turned away from the window abruptly, and went to the dresser and stared at the pendant. She picked it up after a long moment, and held it up to the sunlight that was streaming in from the window, and a ray hit the pendant and reflected into her face, and she instantly saw the image of Legolas in her head, which made tears stream down her face. She leaned in and kissed the pendant. She did love him, more than anything, but she couldn't do anything, not a damn thing. He was not willing to fight for her and she could not defy Thranduil's wishes.  
  
Sullenly, she put the pendant around her neck again, and put it underneath the collar of her dress. Only the chain was visible. Then she went and laid on her bed and closed her eyes and hoped for rest that would not come to her. It was going to be a long night.  
  
  
  
An enormous table was set in a large clearing used especially for grand parties in Mirkwood, and it was at this table that most of the people invited were sitting. There were people representing a majority of the other people of Mirkwood who could not attend and so, everyone managed to be fit at one table. Thranduil sat at the head of the table, with Legolas at his right hand and Jairah at his left. Legolas's cousins and their family were seated on his right side, while Elladan and the family of Elrond were sitting to the left of Jairah. Usually Elrond would have sat next to Jairah, seeing in how it was descending in order of power, but since it was a feast to celebrate the engagement of his son, he did not mind sitting at the left of his son.  
  
Jairah once again played the gracious and loving bride, cuddling with Elladan as was appropriate and expected of a betrothed couple, while Legolas drilled holes into Elladan's head, putting on the smile of the delighted brother of the bride, but no smile could hide his eyes which glared in hatred to the elf who was taking his love away.  
  
Thranduil stood up at last and held up his glass, prepared to make his long awaited announcements. "Lords and ladies of Mirkwood! Distinguished guests. Friends and family, welcome, welcome, welcome," he said graciously and everyone applauded. He was always the natural statesman and diplomat, and had a wonderful way with words. "The day of Midsummer's has always been held as a day for new beginnings. It is the time when our crops are harvested, when the earth is in bloom, and when love, especially here tonight, is in full bloom," he said and motioned slightly towards Jairah and her false grin, and Elladan radiating his happiness.  
  
"Tonight, I wish to announce the engagement and upcoming wedding of my daughter Jairah of South Mirkwood to Elladan... son of Elrond, prince of the valley of Rivendell. Let us make a toast!" he said loudly and everyone around the table raised their glasses, Legolas half high and with much hesitation. "To Jairah our princess and Elladan, welcome son of Mirkwood. May the flower of their love never wither," he said and everyone cried out small cheers of, "here here!" and drank to the semi-happy couple. Everyone was beginning to gossip and talk, but Thranduil cleared his throat loudly, signifying that he was still not done.  
  
"I understand how unpleasant it is to hear me speak for such long periods of time," he said with a smirk and everyone laughed, then he continued. "But there is one more announcement, this one concerning all of you good citizens of Mirkwood," he said. "The Elven people are immortal, all of us are aware of that, and there comes a time when life is beginning to feel stretched, and at that time, we the Elves take our ships and sail to the city of Valinor, for relief from the troubles of this world. I would like to announce that when I take up ship to go to Valinor, I will give my only son, Legolas Greenleaf of Mirkwood, the title of King of all Mirkwood, including the South, which was a wedding gift from his dearest sister Jairah," he said and smiled warmly at Legolas, who weakly returned it to him. "Now, come now, one more toast!" Thranduil said loudly and everyone stood up once more. "To the future king of Mirkwood, Legolas Greenleaf! May he prosper as his forefathers have prospered," he cried out and everyone drank from their glasses and applauded.  
  
"NOW," Thranduil said and he sat down at his chair at last, "We may begin the feast."  
  
As the night fell, the people of Mirkwood feasted and laughed and celebrated, for many hours.  
  
Narendil watched as Elladan pulled Jairah to dance with him amongst the other elves, and she reluctantly obliged. He glanced over at Legolas, who was watching them, anger seething inside of him, and then looked again at Jairah, who was trying very hard to hide her emotions, but they were beginning to show. Sadness and pain radiated in her eyes, and she glanced over at Legolas, and their eyes met. Quickly Jairah turned in Elladan's arms and leaned into him, so she would not have to look at Legolas. She was on the edge of tears.  
  
Narendil could bear it no longer. Though he did not know what to do to prevent the wedding, he could make their suffering for the moment ease. Conjuring up a small spell he'd learned, he silently spoke the magicks in his head and made a quick motion towards the sky.  
  
Though the moon was shining brightly, rain began to pour down on the dancing elves. Elladan released Jairah from his arms and they both looked up at the sky, and Jairah took this opportunity to slip away from him, as he looked over to his father and Thranduil, who were standing up in confusion as well, motioning for everyone to take cover.  
  
Jairah, who didn't mind the rain, pushed through the other elves, and began to run into the trees, away from the celebration, or what was left of it. Nobody saw her, in the confusion. She ran, barefoot, through the wet grass, deep into the woods, not caring what direction she was going in. She ran for a fair ways before she slowed into a walk, breathless.  
  
She could not remember how many times she'd walked through these woods before, but never had her heart felt so heavy as this. She began to weep as she walked, staring up in between the treetops at the moonlight coming through the leaves, and the rain pouring down on her. She didn't understand how it could be raining, but she was grateful for it, it seemed perfect for how she felt. It was like the world was weeping with her.  
  
She began to walk through a round circle of trees, when she heard a snap behind her and she turned fast and saw nothing, but knew better. Someone was behind her. She swallowed a sob and turned away again, and shuddered.  
  
Legolas had seen Jairah run into the woods, he'd been the only one. His eyes had followed her and he'd let her have a head start, but then when he thought nobody was watching, he'd run after her, despite the fact that the rain was coming down. She had run a long way before she'd stopped, and then she'd started to cry, and now he couldn't stand it anymore. He approached her.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, coming round to touch her shoulder, but she was too fast for him, turning fast and grabbing his hand violently before he could touch her.  
  
"How dare you follow me!" she said, her face tearstained and wet from the rain, her hair completely soaked and plastered to her shoulders. Her dress clung to her body. "Why can you not just let me be?" She almost threw his hand away from her. Her actions were angry but her eyes were sad.  
  
"Am I to know only anguish today?" she whispered, turning away from him again, and stepping towards the center of the circle of trees. She shivered, as the rain kept falling down on her.  
  
Legolas went up behind her, and went to touch her, though he was not sure how she would react. Gingerly he reached out and slid his arms around her midsection, and she closed her eyes as he did so, and turned to him, and looked at him, his arms remained around her, though he held her at arms length.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, and leaned in and kissed her forehead, and she closed her eyes again as he did so. He had not been allowed to touch her in so long, days, and she relished this, but only for a moment, as she drew away from him, and looked at him, her eyes full of tears and pain.  
  
"You have hurt me, Legolas. Look at what I am to become." She said, glaring at him.  
  
He sighed. "I know what I have done to you, Jairah. I know what my cowardice has done. I suffer for it, you have made me suffer."  
  
"And rightly so!" she said, pushing on his arms and wrenching herself out of his grasp. "I love you, and I am being forced to marry Elladan, an elf which I do not love. I will be made to bear his children, Legolas. I will be made to spend an eternity with him, an elf I DO NOT LOVE. All because of your cowardice. You might as well take an arrow and kill me."  
  
Legolas had winced when Jairah had mentioned bearing Elladan's children. "I would not allow that, Jairah." He said. "I would sooner see you marry Elladan than see you dead,"  
  
Jairah smiled sadly. "Of course," she said. "And that you will. We will leave for Rivendell in a day. And I will be married to Elladan, and forced to live an unhappy life. Because you would not ask your father for me."  
  
Legolas couldn't respond to that, he knew she was right. She felt his anguish over it.  
  
"It must not be love, then, on your part," she said. "I was wrong to give you any part of me." She looked down at her hands.  
  
Legolas went around to her and took her face in his hands. "No, Jairah. Do not lie to yourself and think that. It is love. It is beyond love. Love could never be this strong, Jairah. I do love you. I would suffer through any torture for you." He looked deep into her eyes and Jairah knew it to be true.  
  
"But you cannot stand up to your father for me," she whispered, casting her eyes down, and away from him. "and for that you would entrap me in a life of torture instead, to live with an elf that I didn't love, when my heart will forever long to be with you?" She looked at him, the rain was still coming down on them, and droplets were stuck in his hair, and on his face. She reached out and stroked his face. "Oh, but I do love you," she said, and tears came into her eyes as she looked at him, staring at her, and she embraced him and kissed his ear as she did so.  
  
He closed his eyes as he enveloped her in his arms, and put one hand on the back of her head, on her neck, and he felt something cold there, and drew away from her a bit to look, and saw the silver chain there. She'd put the necklace back on, his eternity necklace, which made his heart soar. He held her at arms length again and stared at her.  
  
"You have the necklace again," he said, and she nodded, and leaned in and kissed him.  
  
"That is where my love lies," she whispered into his ear, after they broke apart, and she had rested her head on his shoulder. "Never will Elladan know about it, nor does he need to." She kissed his neck as she held him close, and Legolas picked her up to the shelter of a large oak tree, so that they would not be in the rain as much. Her hair was hanging down her shoulders in dripping strands, and he combed it back out of her face as he sat down with her in his lap. She stared up at him with her large eyes.  
  
"There will be no more moments like this, after tonight," she said, tears coming into her eyes again. "I will leave Mirkwood the day after tomorrow."  
  
Legolas touched her eyes, and brushed the tears away. "My heart dreads it," he said softly, and he leaned down and kissed her as she cried, his hands moving down her body, which was shaking with cold from the rain, and he covered her with his body in attempt to warm her up. They lay there, embracing, until Jairah began to pull on Legolas' wet coat, an animal unleashed in her. Her pain and love were overtaking her and she began to kiss him fervently, and he knew that she wanted him.  
  
With the rain still falling on them, and with the moonlight coming from in between the leaves, they combined their bodies once more, their pain and love burning into the other. They knew that quite possibly they would never see eachother again after Jairah left for Rivendell, and a moment like this would never be possible again.  
  
Jairah clung to Legolas, as he kissed her skin softly, and held her close, whispering to her in their language that he loved her, and she could feel it as she cried out. She locked this into her memory, for all the times that she knew were coming when Elladan would want her. It would never be the same, never. She never wanted this particular moment to end, because this was where she wanted to be, with this particular elf.  
  
***  
  
Elladan was in a panic, despite Narendil's attempts to calm him. He could not find Jairah anywhere, he'd searched the entire castle for her. After the commotion outside, he'd lost her, and after everyone had rushed inside, he'd gone looking for her, searching first her rooms, to see if she'd gone to change her clothes or something. But he did not find her there, nor did he find her in any of the other rooms in Thranduil's immense castle.  
  
It had been a few hours since he'd seen her and he was getting restless. He wanted to go out into the dark woods and search for her, he feared she'd gotten lost in them in all the upset.  
  
"Jairah was raised in these woods, Elladan," Narendil soothed. "She would not get lost in them. Maybe she is enjoying the rain. You do remember how she used to like to walk in it while she stayed in Rivendell."  
  
These words did not ease Elladan's panic, for there was another issue on his mind. Along with the princess, the prince of Mirkwood was also unaccounted for. Elladan thought back to his dreams in Rivendell, of them making love in the woods, and his heart was deeply troubled.  
  
Narendil was also troubled, for he knew what was transpiring in the wood at this very moment. Elladan must not go out into those woods, for he might find them. There could be terrible results.  
  
But Narendil was now called away to speak with Thranduil and Elrond, who were discussing the upcoming ceremony in Rivendell, and reluctantly Narendil went to them.  
  
Elladan took this opportunity to slip out of the castle and into the woods. The rain had eased up into a gentle shower, and it fell softly onto him as he walked through the woods, which were illuminated by starlight and moonlight.  
  
He heard nothing as he walked for a short while, looking around for Jairah, calling out her name softly. Perhaps Narendil was right, and she was just seeking a moment of solitude. Perhaps he should let her be. He did not know these woods as well as she did, he could get lost. He turned to go back towards the castle, and realized that he had in fact lost his way, and cursed himself.  
  
He had no idea what direction to go in. He had completely turned himself around, so he did not know from what direction he had come. He began to walk forwards, through the rain, when he heard what he thought was a cry coming from his far left. He stopped, and listened. Mirkwood was very different from Rivendell, it had different sorts of animals, so it could be anything. So keeping an ear open, he continued to walk untill he heard it again, this time accompanied by a low moan.  
  
"Jairah.." he thought, thinking maybe she was in trouble, and she was unarmed. He started to run silently towards the sound. He did not hear it again, and it seemed it was coming from in between a small circle of trees just in front of him.  
  
Cautiously he stepped closer to the trees, and peered through, one hand reaching back for his bow, if necessary.  
  
His heart caught in his throat.  
  
There were no beasts in the trees. The cries were coming from Jairah herself, but she was not being harmed. She wore nothing but a shiny silver chain about her neck, one Elladan had never seen before. She was propped up against a large oak tree, her eyes closed, her arms wrapped around the neck of the elf that was gently suckling on her small breasts, and kissing her rain-drenched skin. Legolas.  
  
Elladan closed his eyes tightly, feeling sick, and then opened them again, hoping that this was also a dream, like the one he'd had in Rivendell. But it was no dream, as he looked at them again, her sitting in Legolas' lap, smiling at him, her eyes shining with love and desire, as their foreheads touched and he leaned in and kissed her, stroking her hair, her neck, her shoulders.  
  
"No.." Elladan whispered, pulling out his bow and fitting an arrow silently into it, and aiming it at the lovers, at the back of the elf-prince's head. Rage filled his insides, jealousy. The look of absolute pleasure on Jairah's face was enough to make Elladan want to slay Legolas right here, right now. Jairah belonged to him, he loved her. In a month she was to be his wife. And yet here she was, fornicating with another elf, on the night that it was announced that she, Jairah, was to be his, Elladan's. It was almost more than Elladan could stand.  
  
But as Jairah wound her hands around Legolas' head, pulling him closer to her, so she might kiss his neck, he withdrew the arrow from the bow and stepped back, his rage still in his throat, and turned and ran away from them, though the image of them was now burned in his mind. His thoughts swam. One month would not be soon enough. He would have to find a way to have Jairah belong to him sooner than that. He must banish Legolas from her.  
  
Jairah and Legolas were oblivious to Elladan even being there, so far were they in their thralls of passion. The pain that they'd both suffered at the hands of the other made their lovemaking even more intense, and it was in the early hours of the morning when it finally subsided, Jairah shivering in Legolas' arms, though she was warmed to the very core of her being. The shivering was from fear, fear of being away from him.  
  
The rain was now only a drizzle, as they lay now beneath the oak, their limbs intertwined, and stared up at the stars twinkling through the leaves, Legolas kissing Jairah's shoulder, and resting his head there. She smiled at him, though she was sad.  
  
"I nearly forgot what it was, this night," she whispered to him, as she looked up at the sky.  
  
"What night was that?" he wondered, and looked at her, and saw the tears illuminated in her eyes.  
  
"Midsummer's Eve." She whispered. "When true love blossoms." She wiped the tears from her eyes and looked at him bitterly. "When life begins anew. How unfortunate that my life will not begin with you." The tears began to stream down her face and Legolas leaned up and kissed them from her cheeks. She shuddered, and they both were quiet for a moment, staring at eachother, Legolas stroking Jairah's forehead as he stared into her deep amber eyes.  
  
Then Jairah looked away, and began to disentangle herself from Legolas, pushing gently at him, so she could sit up. He moved off of her and she sat up, shivering, and reached for her dress, which was now muddy and soaked, and covered her front with it. She stopped and stared up at the sky again, which was beginning to lighten, the rain stopped and now just a mist had gathered over the entire forest. She sighed, and Legolas leaned over and kissed her shoulder, and she turned and smiled at him sadly.  
  
"I cannot do this," she said softly, looking at him, pleading at him with her eyes. " I do not want to leave here. I will not be able to bear it. I will die."  
  
He looked at her, the same sadness in his eyes. "You will not, Jairah. You will live. You will be happy, I promise you." For a moment she thought that he was going to tell her he was going to ask his father for her, but those words never came, and more despair came into her heart, even as he kissed her again, and helped her into her wet clothes. She touched his wet skin as he dressed himself, touched the scar she had given him. Her knees went weak and she sat down again, crying.  
  
He knelt before her and kissed her cheek. "Jairah, please. My heart cannot take your pain. I promise you, you will be happy. And I have never broken a promise to you, my love." She looked at him and sighed, her breath ragged, but she stopped her tears and embraced him, and he picked her up and kissed her wet hair, and began to carry her towards the castle, hoping that they could sneak in unnoticed.  
  
"I am worried about Jairah and Legolas, Narendil," Thranduil said when he called Narendil into the room where he and Lord Elrond sat.  
  
"Narendil, I know of the small seeing stone you have in your ring," Elrond said and motioned to his right hand where the large black stone sat dormant. "Tell us what you see of them," he said and Narendil hesitated and looked into the stone, waiting for the images to come into his mind.  
  
He saw what Elladan saw. Legolas and Jairah pressed against the tree, kissing each other's lips, cheeks, necks, shoulders, and soon after he saw Elladan pulling the arrow out of his quiver and pointing the arrow at the back of Legolas's head, then reluctantly putting it down and running away. At least they were still alive, he thought silently. In his mind appeared Legolas and Jairah holding hands in the woods, coming closer to the castle.  
  
"My lord, I see them approaching, they have found each other and they are safe," Narendil said quietly and looked up at Elrond's eyes honestly, attempting to block out everything else he had seen.  
  
"Thank you for your help, Narendil," Thranduil said in a grateful voice, but Elrond glanced at him suspiciously, knowing he had something hidden from him. Narendil quickly broke eye contact with him and rushed out of the room, seeing if his seeing stone had indeed shown the truth, and indeed it had, for coming down the hallway was Jairah and Legolas, entranced in each other.  
  
"Fools, you two fools!" Narendil whispered harshly which brought them out of his spell. "I brought the rain so you two may be together but not.. THAT together," he said quietly.  
  
"Narendil, we could not help it," Jairah said quietly but he let out a sigh of exasperation.  
  
"Could not help it, well in the future, if there even is one for you two now, try to help it, for it your lack of willpower may bring about your own destruction," Narendil said. He had never been so upset with anyone before, but he was right, and they knew it.  
  
"We are sorry, forgive us," Legolas said quietly, and Narendil shook his head.  
  
"No time for useless apologies, your bridegroom approaches and I see the flames in his eyes within my mind, separate your hands and announce to Thranduil that Legolas rescued you in the wood from a wild animal," Narendil said and the two walked inside, Legolas leading Jairah by the hand.  
  
Narendil stood outside the door and listened to Legolas say what had been briefly prepared, but when he looked inside again, he saw that a fifth member had joined the party without him noticing; Elladan, sitting between Thranduil and his father, glaring steadily and maliciously at Jairah. In his mind Narendil had seen Elladan approaching but did not know from where, and it had been from somewhere else into the room where Thranduil and Elrond sat. Narendil dreaded what was to arise now.  
  
Meanwhile, Elladan glared at Jairah with all the hatred that was possible, though deep inside he wished with all his heart that she would love him as he loved her. It was not possible, not after what he had seen, after what they had done, and for that he could never forgive her. Legolas entered leading Jairah and at the sight of Elladan he dropped Jairah's hand and told his father of how Jairah had fled the rain to get to the castle faster, gotten lost and had almost been attacked by an animal, except he had followed her and saved her.  
  
"Master Elf, I do not know these woods as well as the woods of my home, but in the day we have been here I have been exploring them. You talk of a wild animal that attacked the lady. What was it?" Elladan asked coolly.  
  
My lord?" he asked.  
  
"What kind of animal attacked Lady Jairah?" he said again, pronouncing every word slowly and carefully, staring at them.  
  
"I believe it was a boar, my lord," Legolas said.  
  
"Odd, I have not seen boars in Mirkwood since my youth," Thranduil said.  
  
"Well father, it did not look familiar, and so I suppose it must have wandered in from outside of Mirkwood," Legolas replied.  
  
"And did you slay the boar, Legolas?" Elladan asked.  
  
"I did not get the chance, I shot it with a few arrows but it only ran away, wounded," he said. Jairah winced, for Legolas had walked into Elladan's trap headfirst.  
  
"You shot the boar. With the quiver, bow and arrows you do not carry, for they are here behind me," Elladan said and from next to the chair he sat, he held up Legolas's familiar quiver, filled with arrows, and his bow. Before Legolas could dig himself even deeper, Elladan spoke again. "Father, the storm outside is becoming increasingly worse and we must cross the Misty Mountains in order to return home. If we wait another day, we will be trapped in the passes, and not all know what lurks in those mountains," Elladan said and he stood up and walked over in front of Thranduil. "You have been the most gracious host to my family, Thranduil of Mirkwood, but for our safety, I fear we must return to Rivendell immediately, and Lady Jairah and I will be married there in a weeks' time, if we move quickly," Elladan said.  
  
Elrond glanced at his son, and then looked at the expressions shared by Legolas and Jairah, one of pure horror. Elladan turned to his father and saw him looking at the children of Mirkwood, then turned to them.  
  
"I am sorry to take your sister from you so abruptly, Legolas Greenleaf, but you may be a guest of Rivendell as my kin whenever you please," he said and narrowed his eyes at Legolas with a look of triumph shining in them.  
  
Jairah sent all her thoughts silently to Legolas, consisting of, "He had seen us in the wood, I see the jealousy in his eyes. Ask your father for me now, so I will not be taken away," she silently pleaded. Legolas did not respond, physically or mentally.  
  
"Narendil!" Elladan called out and Narendil walked into the room. "Did you hear? We are returning to Rivendell immediately," he said and Narendil nodded.  
  
I must pack my things, all I have, if I am to go," Jairah said, trying to buy herself enough time, since Legolas obviously would not speak for her.  
  
"Lady, we must not delay. Bring clothes for a few days and the rest will be sent out afterwards," Elladan said.  
  
"Jairah, you do not wish to delay Lord Elrond and his family and get them caught in the storm, do you?" Thranduil asked and eyed her carefully, and she shook her head.  
  
"No my lord, I will prepare my bags to leave," she said sadly and walked out of the room. Legolas, it seemed, was frozen where he stood and had not moved. He and Elladan glared at each other, their anger at each other filling every crevice of the room, and Elladan soon walked out of the room, followed by his father.  
  
"Elladan!" Elrond called out and his son stopped and turned to face his father. Elrond scanned his son's face and in his eyes saw nothing but malice and jealousy. "I do not know what you saw or what happened to cause such extrodinary change for the worse in your soul, but turn from this path now before your heart turns black," Elrond said in his firmest voice.  
  
"Father, I will be fine once we return home and I have my bride. Mirkwood has never been my favorite place to visit," he said and walked away swiftly to his own guest room to pack.  
  
Jairah had held back her tears untill she reached her rooms, and looked around them hastily, and grabbed a few things and shoved them into a bag. She couldn't think straight, she was sobbing uncontrollably. She must get control of herself.  
  
She gathered up her most prized possessions, which were her weapons, firstly, the sword that had belonged to her father, her bow and arrow, her quiver. She went to the cupboard and drew out the silver blades that Elladan had given her so long ago and stuffed them into the quiver with the arrows, and slung them on her back. If she was to go to Rivendell, she would go armed. Elladan would not take that from her.  
  
She quickly changed her dress, discarding the muddy one. She looked at it sadly as she set it on the chair next to the basin where she bathed. Legolas had torn it in their passion, and tears slipped down her face. She brushed her hair quickly, and tucked the silver pendant underneath her dress, next to her skin. She glanced at herself in the mirror, and then sighed and went back to finish packing her things.  
  
She put the dagger Thranduil had given her, the box that contained her father's ring and the small cloak pin from Legolas, and a few more dresses in a bag and then turned, scanned her eyes over her room, her home, and turned and walked out the door. The only way she was going to be able to endure this was to try to turn cold to it. She feared saying goodbye to Thranduil, though, and Legolas as well, because she knew she could not be cold to them.  
  
Elladan was waiting for her when she reached the foyer of the castle. He smiled at her, oddly, and took her bag from her, and motioned for her to follow him outside.  
  
Elrohir and Arwen were already saying their goodbyes to Thranduil and Legolas, who were standing on the bottom step of the castle, the horses all gathered there in front of them. They had gone and retrieved Jairah's own horse, a pretty dapple grey thing that she'd named Celebuial, "silver twilight", and she went down now and pet him, she had not seen him for many days. He nuzzled her, he felt her pain. She then turned to Thranduil and Legolas, and looked at them with sad eyes.  
  
She went first to Thranduil, and bowed before him, then went forward and took his hands in hers.  
  
"My lord," she said, looking at him. "Many years ago you fought for my life and took me in when my father was slain, and have acted in his stead all these long years. You raised me to be strong and true, and I have never had to want for anything. I believe my father would be very pleased, and most grateful, as I am grateful. I shall miss you greatly, my adopted- father." She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, and he reached out and embraced her.  
  
"As will I to you, Jairah-daughter. I was never blessed with a daughter, just my one son. As much as your father's death saddened me, he gave me the opportunity to experience raising a daughter, and you have brought me much joy. But I wish you much happiness in your life with your future husband, and you are always welcome here, for this is your home." He kissed her forehead as he released her, and she bowed before him again, before turning to Legolas, pain searing in her heart.  
  
He beheld her with sad eyes, then noticed that she was pulling something from the fold of her skirt, into her hand as she was coming up from the bow to his father. He watched as she walked to be in front of him, and then looked at him solemnly, then took his hands in hers as she had done with Thranduil. He felt her slip something hard and cold into his hand. She leaned in and kissed him on the cheek, as she'd done with his father, and then embraced him tightly.  
  
"I cannot speak aloud what I must say to you," she said to him in her mind, "For Elladan is suspicious of us, there is no doubt. You know my feelings for you, Legolas. Do not ever doubt them, though I will become Elladan's wife in a matter of days, my heart will always belong to you." Tears seeped from her eyes as she kissed his cheek again, and embraced him tighter.  
  
Elladan watched this, his heart burning with anger and jealousy. In his mind were flashes of what he'd seen in the wood, Jairah's naked body being cradled in Legolas' arms, him kissing her. So he went to her now and took her arm as gently as he could, and pulled her away.  
  
"Come now, my love," he said, softly, feigning a smile. "Let your brother go. We've a long journey yet to our home."  
  
Jairah and Legolas held on to the other's hand untill Elladan had led Jairah out of reach, and their hands broke apart. Legolas' other hand was still closed tightly around the object that Jairah had given him.  
  
Everyone mounted their horses, and Jairah went to mount Celebuial, but Elladan drew her away.  
  
"No, love," he said, smiling. "You will ride with me out of Mirkwood, and then continue on your own horse after we have left the wood. It is a tradition where I come from, for a betrothed couple to leave together riding the same horse."  
  
Jairah exchanged a look with Narendil, who gave her a small encouraging smile, and Elladan helped Jairah up on his horse, and then got up behind her, and they all turned towards Thranduil and Legolas again.  
  
"Goodbye, Thranduil, King of Mirkwood, and Legolas, son of Thranduil," said Elrond. "We will take good care of your daughter, for she will be our daughter now as well." He smiled at Thranduil and raised his hand in salute, and then turned his horse and led everyone to the Gates of Mirkwood. Elladan had encircled Jairah's waist with his arms, and she felt trapped on the horse with him.  
  
She looked back and saw Legolas staring after her, sadness emanating from his eyes, and her heart felt heavy, but she dared not do a thing. She looked up at Elladan, who smiled down at her, and kissed the top of her head as they rode towards the gates, and then they picked up speed and raced through the gates, and they closed behind the horses as they disappeared from sight.  
  
"He has already taken her modesty," Legolas said softly. "He would not let her ride her own horse out of her own homeland."  
  
Thranduil looked at him. "I have never heard of that tradition, but if it is a tradition of Rivendell then it was alright to have her ride the horse with him. He is very much in love with her, Legolas. You will understand one day, when you are betrothed."  
  
Legolas looked back at his father and nodded. "I fear it will be a long time untill that happens, Father," he said sadly, and touched Thranduil's shoulder and walked into the woods, feelings of depression coming from him.  
  
He waited untill he was a long ways from where his father had been before he opened the hand that Jairah had slipped the small thing into. His eyes teared up as he did so; in his palm was the small silver and blue star cloak pin he'd given her when she was a child.  
  
He sighed. She would be gone forever now, and his heart was broken. He was going to die, he couldn't think of any pain more intense. Seeing her looking back from that horse, Elladan's arms around her, had made him sick to his stomach. He must do something, anything, to get her back.  
  
His horse was faster, and knew a different way to Rivendell than those other horses did. He could beat them there, or atleast get there before the wedding took place. But he could not leave now, it would arise suspicion in Thranduil. Jairah was to be married in a week. He must get there before then, he must do something before then.  
  
The family of Elrond was on the road with Narendil leading the way, followed by Elrohir and Arwen, and in the back Elrond and Elladan. Soon after they left Mirkwood, Elladan had reluctantly allowed Jairah to mount her own horse and now she rode directly in front of him, blocked from escaping the caravan on both sides by Elrohir and Arwen, in the front by Narendil and in the back by Elladan himself. Elrond did not look happy, especially not by the display his son put on as they left Mirkwood, for he had heard the remark Legolas had told his father, and believed that it was indeed a breech of the young girl's modesty (though how modest she was to begin with he was beginning to question).  
  
"Elladan," Elrond said in his mind and continued to send his thoughts when Elladan turned his head. "There is no custom in Rivendell of riding out of the home of the bride with her on the same horse," Elrond thought to him.  
  
"I cannot begin my own traditions, father?" he asked silently.  
  
"Not something like that. Both her father and brother were displeased with how forward you were with their kin," Elrond replied and he now glared at Elladan, to which Elladan bowed his head.  
  
"You don't know how much I adore her," Elladan silently said and the mask of hostility he had worn since that morning dropped of his face.  
  
"I have a feeling of how much you do, and I hope for happiness for you two," Elrond silently said then stopped for a second. "Narendil! Come, take this way, it is a shorter way through the Misty Mountains," Elrond called out and Narendil hesitantly turned his horse on that path, the other horses following. Narendil's horse, following orders other than his own, went from a slow walk to a trot and then to the fastest gallop he had ever taken, and the other horses following its movement. Narendil was not sure if Lord Elrond or Elladan were mentally controlling the horses, for it was surely not his own plan to reach Rivendell quickly.  
  
Suddenly Narendil received his answer when Elladan rode up next to him and said as their horses ran together at the same speed, "Brother, allow me to lead the others for a while, you may move to the back with my father," he said and Narendil nodded, running his horse to the side and guiding it to the back with Elrond.  
  
"Something is not right with my sons," Elrond silently said to Narendil and all he could do was nod.  
  
With the path Elrond knew of before to reach Rivendell faster (the same path Legolas took regularly) and the increased speed of all the horses, Rivendell was in sight on the afternoon of the second day. Jairah looked upon the familiar gates with darkness on her heart, which everyone sensed. The children of Rivendell (Narendil included) had highly developed senses to feel things others did not feel, and it was especially strong in their home. Elrohir, the younger brother, tried to comfort the uneasiness in Jairah's heart but could not, because it was too strong. She silently took her things up the room where she would stay until she married Elladan, moving into his room afterwards which was much larger, and spent her time sitting at the balcony with her arms wrapped around her knees. She was unable to enjoy the absolute beauty of her new home, the almost golden leaves falling constantly, creating a shining rainfall all the time.  
  
Narendil came to comfort her soon and though he was at peace in his home, with Jairah's darkness, he could not rest. He spent hours sitting with her, sharing in her sadness, mentally writing a lament to Jairah to sing at another time when it would not move her to absolute tears.  
  
The balcony of Elrond's study was above Jairah's and he saw the Istari and Jairah sitting and not speaking, and he saw her glazed eyes that did not move except to blink. He summoned his son to his room and had him watch Jairah from the balcony, seeing the dead expression in her eyes. Elladan felt moved to tears, but his arrogance and jealousy won the battle over pity.  
  
"You would marry this young girl and keep her here, allowing her to die then? You said I do not understand how much you adore her, but this is the farthest thing from adoration I have seen in all my days!" Elrond said loudly, shouting almost, which he never did.  
  
"You do not understand, father, I must have her!" Elladan shouted back and received a glare from his father.  
  
"You cannot keep wild flowers within your hand and expect them to bloom. Keeping her here will kill her of grief, do you not see her unhappiness? Or are you simply so overcome with jealousy that you do not care if she dies, you only care that you have her and Legolas does not?" Elrond had hit the nail on the head and Elladan's stomach twisted and turned within him, and he turned on his heel and walked out of his father's room to his own, feeling absolutely ill for causing his friend such grief.  
  
A few hours had passed since the argument Elrond and Elladan had, and Elrond was sitting at his desk in his study, thinking of how to change his son's mind. He did not wish to send Jairah back, for that would disgrace the family of Thranduil, make everyone think that she was not suitable for Elladan or for a life in Rivendell (which was completely untrue). Before Elrond could think any longer, his younger son Elrohir entered the study solemnly.  
  
"Father, I have seen how sad Lady Jairah is and I do not think that Elladan should marry her and keep her here," he said in his innocent way of proclaiming the obvious. Elrond nodded and was about to speak, but Elrohir beat him to it. "But regardless of what I think, Elladan requests your presence outside, for he is getting Narendil to marry them at this very moment. I attempted to talk him out of it mentally, but it would not work. Narendil is also hesitant to do his will, but Elladan is in a fiery mood, we cannot restrain him." Elrond's worried expression had turned to one of fury and his son moved from the doorway while his father stormed out of the room and outside.  
  
"Elladan, have you gone mad?" he asked loudly and glanced at Jairah. "Jairah, return upstairs to your room," he said and Elladan glared furiously at his father.  
  
"What right have you to send my bride away?" he asked.  
  
"You have surely fallen into madness, Elladan, I will not allow you to do this," Elrond said and Narendil put the book away and sat down on the grass with relief. He did not want to tell Legolas about how he had married the two in a fit of insanity.  
  
While Elrond and Elladan argued over Elladan's insanity, Legolas rode with his father's quickest horse to Rivendell, saying he would be bringing some things to Jairah that she had left behind. He rode as quickly as possible and had set out on the second day, just as Elrond and his family had finished crossing the Misty Mountains and were near Rivendell. It was now almost nightfall, only a few hours since he had left, but with the speed and determination of the horse, as well as Legolas's own passion and fury, they approached the Misty Mountains soon and would have to cross in the morning, for no living person dared cross them during the night.  
  
  
  
Jairah had gone back up to her room as Elrond had directed, and once again gone to the balcony to sit and stare out at the sky. It had grown dark, and the stars were once again beginning to peek out, but she did not take joy in them, like she had so many nights before her heart had begun to fall apart.  
  
She felt relieved that Elrond had appeared and shown up and stopped Elladan's madness. The ceremony was not to take place for three more days, yet Elladan had come into her room and asked to take her for a walk, and she obliged, not saying a word. She had not spoken to him nor anyone since her arrival in Rivendell. She knew the wizard feared for her, indeed he'd spent many hours sitting with her while she despaired.  
  
Jairah knew she was probably dying. She had read stories of elves dying of broken hearts before, but it never had said how the process began. But the grief she felt inside was overwhelming, and she had lost her appetite. Narendil brought her food which she did not touch, and she did not hardly sleep, save for a few moments when she closed her eyes, but that was never for long because she would see Legolas in her mind, and then she would cry, the tears slipping silently down her face from her deadened eyes.  
  
She reached a hand underneath her collar and clasped her hand around the eternity pendant, and received a shock from it, which made her tears flow a little faster, and her heart ache even more.  
  
Meanwhile, Elrond and Elladan had finished their argument, both of them still unsettled. Elrond had convinced Elladan that such a thing was unheard of, and that Elladan and Jairah would be married at the proper ceremony in three days, if he still chose to cause her such grief and marry her.  
  
"Though, Elladan, I strongly suggest that you consider letting her go, if you love her as you say you do." Elrond said, walking away from him.  
  
Elladan shook his head. His father didn't understand. It was because he loved Jairah so much that he wanted to marry her now, so that he could begin to banish Legolas from her mind.  
  
He saw Narendil passing him, going probably up to see Jairah now, and he stopped.  
  
"Narendil, you have spent many hours with my future wife, what can you tell me of her, of how she feels?"  
  
Narendil looked at him, and replied with all honesty, "It is my belief, brother, that she is beginning to die."  
  
Elladan's heart went into a panic when he heard this. "Surely she is not," he whispered, and looked up at Jairah, where she sat on the balcony, staring out at nothing.  
  
"There is much despair in her, Elladan. Her heart is slowly being weakened. Unless she is given happiness, she will surely die within a year."  
  
Elladan knew that Narendil had spoken the truth, and his heart ached, when he thought of Jairah dying. He did, over everything else, love her with every fiber of his being. But his thoughts drifted back to what he had seen in the grove of Mirkwood, and then his heart burned with jealousy again. He looked at Narendil.  
  
"If it is happiness she needs, then I can provide it," he said firmly. "I will go and speak with her. She will not die, Narendil." With that, he walked past Narendil and strode up to the room where Jairah sat, quietly crying, and entered the room without knocking.  
  
She did not turn around when he entered her room, only kept staring out at the trees of Rivendell, and this troubled him. He went to her and gently knelt before the chair she sat in, her knees drawn up to her head, and took one of her hands that hung limply at her side.  
  
"Jairah," he whispered, and kissed her hand. She did not respond to him, and this also greatly troubled him, so he went around in front of her and blocked her view of the trees, so she was forced to look at him, by him taking her face in his hands. He looked at her and remembered when he'd first known he was in love with her, so long ago. For a moment the jealousy and rage subsided in him, and he felt her pain.  
  
She stared at him with her wet eyes, silently waiting for him to speak. She had nothing to say to him.  
  
He looked at her, noticed she'd been crying, and his heart ached again. "Jairah," he said again. "I know your heart is in pain, and it hurts me more than you can imagine."  
  
Jairah looked at him, snapping to attention. She believed Elladan to be lying, though he was not.  
  
"If it hurts you, Elladan, then you must know the reason for my pain," she whispered, choosing her words very carefully. "And you know what can be done to relieve it."  
  
Elladan released her face, and moved to sit in the chair beside her. "Narendil has told me that he believes you are dying, Jairah. That is more than I can bear, that thought. I will not allow that to happen."  
  
Jairah looked at him, her eyes hopeful. Perhaps Narendil had spoken with Elladan, reasoned with him! Perhaps he was going to let her go home to Legolas.  
  
Elladan looked at her softly, tenderly. "Jairah, Narendil has told me that all you need is happiness, to be spared this. And I promise you, Jairah, I will do everything in my power to make you happy, once we are married."  
  
Jairah's hopeful expression died on her face, and she looked away from Elladan. So he had not relented. She leaned her head back on her knees again.  
  
"I have no doubt, Elladan." She whispered, as tears came into her eyes. She closed her eyes as he stared at her, she felt his gaze harden on her.  
  
"And yet somehow I feel you have nothing but doubt in me, Jairah," he said, his tone getting harsh. "Do you not believe that I love you? Or that I would try to make you happy?"  
  
"I believe it, Elladan," she said, opening her eyes, tears filling them still. "I do believe it."  
  
Elladan closed his eyes and again was treated to the image of Jairah in Legolas' arms, deep in the forest of Mirkwood, and all his calm left him.  
  
"You lie," he said, "And why can you not love me, Jairah? Because I am not your brother?" he rose from the chair and roughly pulled on her arm, dragging her into her room. She stared at him, her eyes showing no emotion, which enraged him even the more because he wanted to see the same love in those eyes that he'd seen when he'd seen her with Legolas, only love for him.  
  
"Legolas is not my brother," she said in a low tone.  
  
"Not by blood, no. But in all other respects, yes, he is. And what sort of lover is he, one who would not ask for you, even when you were to be promised to me?" Elladan threw the hurtful words out at Jairah like fireballs.  
  
"Legolas would know enough to let me be free when I did not love him, even if he loved me." Jairah said, calmly, even though Elladan had her by her arms, and was hurting her. She knew, though, if he hurt her any worse than this, she would be able to hurt him ten times as bad. The children of Rivendell may have highly developed senses, but the children of Mirkwood were more deadly, and perilous. Jairah could kill Elladan quite fast if she wanted to.  
  
Her words hit Elladan like a slap in the face, and he pushed her away from him. "Legolas is a coward, Jairah."  
  
"Yes, he is." Jairah said. "But I love him."  
  
Those words hit Elladan deep, and he turned on her and grabbed her again and pulled her close.  
  
"Yes, I know you do. I saw you, the two of you, in the woods of your homeland, on the night of our engagement. But that is nothing, anymore. Legolas will not have you again, for you belong to me, you will, after we are married in three days time." His eyes searched her body, and looked for the one thing that they were searching for.  
  
He reached up with one hand, his other still tightly fastened to her waist, and brushed her hair back, and looked at her neck. He saw the silver chain there, and he pulled on it roughly, untill the pendant came out of the collar of Jairah's dress, and he let it go, it rested against the front of her dress.  
  
"This," he said, pointing at it, and letting her go. "This was all you wore that night. He gave it to you, didn't he? "  
  
Jairah didn't respond, only looked at Elladan defiantly, which angered him.  
  
"I will not allow you to begin our life together with such things, Jairah. Take it off." He said, standing back and folding his arms.  
  
"No. I will not. It was a gift to me, and is dear to me. I will not."  
  
"you will!" Elladan said, and then leaned forward and took the pendant in his hand and snatched it off of her, breaking the chain, and then yelping in pain, grabbing his hand. The pendant dropped to the floor. It had burnt his flesh when he touched it, and as he looked down now, he saw the symbol for "Eternity" bleeding and burnt into his hand.  
  
Jairah looked at him, her eyes wide, but she did not move to help him. He looked at her, anger reflecting in his eyes, then turned and fled from the room.  
  
Jairah leaned down and picked up the necklace only after he'd been gone from sight for a long time. He'd broken the chain terribly, she could not wear it. She didn't understand how it could have burnt him. She remembered when Legolas had put their blood in it, for the enchantment, but she still did not understand. But she must hide the pendant now, for Elladan would surely not want her to have it, and would find some way to dispose of it.  
  
She was still to marry him, he would not release her. She closed her door and burst into tears, for the first time since she had reached Rivendell allowing herself to pour her anguish out of her body. She had no hope left.  
  
Jairah wept almost the entire night until she fell  
  
asleep briefly and woke up, her face buried in the  
  
pillow, which was wet with her tears. She tried to  
  
remember where she was and the nightmare she had been  
  
living came back to her and the tears came back to her  
  
eyes with renewed pain. She saw she held in her hand  
  
by her face the broken chain with the pendant, but it  
  
did not shine. There was a ray of moonlight flooding  
  
in through the open balcony and for the first time,  
  
the moonlight caught the metal of the pendant and  
  
awoke another enchantment Narendil had placed in it  
  
but not spoken of.  
  
In Jairah's mind it showed her and Legolas together,  
  
she in a white dress, the wedding dress her mother had  
  
worn that was now in her bag that Thranduil had given  
  
to her to wear on her wedding day, Legolas dressed in  
  
his finest clothes, she with flowers upon her head,  
  
both of them smiling, happy: their wedding day, if it  
  
would ever happen. Within this ray of moonlight, she  
  
held her last drop of hope for a happy future, and she  
  
began to cry again, this time out of happiness, that  
  
there might be a new beginning for her awaiting at the  
  
end.  
  
* * * * *  
  
The next day, no one disturbed her and she laid in her  
  
bed all day long, teasing the sun and the pendant,  
  
placing it in the rays of the sun and seeing her  
  
memories with Legolas play in her mind. For the first  
  
time in days it brought a smile to her face and she  
  
was almost happy, as long as she was alone with her  
  
love, who was not there in body but through their  
  
binding of body and blood was there with her at that  
  
moment in her mind.  
  
She could survive on this, she realized. The Legolas  
  
that lived within her heart and her memories was the  
  
Legolas she fell in love with, and even if she never  
  
saw him again, she could be happy without him since  
  
she lived on with him. He was a coward and would not  
  
come for her, she knew that now with a bit of  
  
bitterness in her heart, but the Legolas she loved was  
  
with her forever and could never be taken away, not by  
  
Elladan or anyone else. The pendant was only a symbol  
  
of their love, and the true enchantment of it was now  
  
within her heart and could never be broken.  
  
Another day passed and it was the third day, the day  
  
of her wedding. She was awoken early by Lord Elrond  
  
himself, who found her refreshed and almost happy. He  
  
believed her to be cured of her madness and her  
  
homesickness, and the same change had come about  
  
Elladan after a few days of not seeing her. It was  
  
with these obvious changes on their faces that he gave  
  
permission to Elladan to go through with the ceremony.  
  
"Child, I am sorry that your first days in Rivendell  
  
in so long were not a happier experience," Elrond said  
  
as he sat upon the edge of the bed where she had laid  
  
for two days.  
  
"I am sorry as well. I am sorry for being such a  
  
terrible guest, but... I am fine now," she said softly  
  
and wrapped her fingers tighter around the charm.  
  
"You need not hide the symbol of love for your kinsman  
  
so tightly in your hand," Elrond said and Jairah was  
  
not surprised, and instead she loosened her grip on  
  
it.  
  
"I will marry your son, Lord Elrond, and things will  
  
be better from now on," she said quietly and smiled.  
  
"I am glad to hear you say that," Elrond said and  
  
there was a pause as Elrond studied her face. "But I  
  
wonder if you love my son as he loves you," he said.  
  
"I did, at one time, I will not deny that..." she said  
  
softly and sat up slightly against the pillows behind  
  
her. "He said he would make me happy, and he has never  
  
broken a promise to me, so I have no reason not to  
  
believe him," Jairah said.  
  
Elrond nodded without speaking and then asked, "Are  
  
you sure you wish to go through with this wedding?"  
  
"Yes. There is nothing left for me in Mirkwood any  
  
more except my father and my kinsmen. My life begins  
  
anew today," she said with a smile.  
  
Jairah wondered within herself how she was now  
  
willingly marrying Elladan, who only two days ago she  
  
hated more than anything in the world. She remembered  
  
Legolas, and how he had not come for her, and how she  
  
had not heard from him in the days she had been in  
  
Rivendell. He did not love her any longer, and even if  
  
he did, he had not the courage to spend the rest of  
  
his life with her. So it must be, she thought silently  
  
and sighed. Legolas who she had fallen in love with  
  
would have to live on only in memory, since he had  
  
turned into a faded illusion.  
  
* * * * *  
  
As Jairah told Lord Elrond that she would marry  
  
Elladan, Legolas was on the west side of the Misty  
  
Mountains, having crossed the pass on foot. He had  
  
slept at the foot of the mountains two nights ago, not  
  
wanting to cross the pass at night with his horse, and  
  
when he awoke, the horse had vanished. He had spent  
  
one entire day, morning noon and night, crossing a  
  
shallow pass of the Misty Mountains and was now on the  
  
other side, but his trust of the mountains was not any  
  
stronger. The valley of Rivendell was still far on  
  
foot, but if he ran, he would be there by sunset.  
  
Elves are known for being able to run long distances  
  
without tiring, and Legolas was no different. He had  
  
run leagues upon leagues now but was not tired, and  
  
when the sun was high up in the sky, telling him it  
  
was noon, he stopped to rest, but not for long, for he  
  
was soon on his way again. Within an hour, which  
  
seemed like only minutes to his mind, he saw the peak  
  
of the house of Elrond in the distance, the gates of  
  
Rivendell within his reach, and this new hope burned a  
  
fire in his legs, making him run even faster than  
  
before.  
  
It was the mid-afternoon and it was at this time, with  
  
Legolas only a short distance away, that Narendil had  
  
come into Jairah's room to say she was wanted in the  
  
main courtyard of Rivendell for her wedding. He was  
  
astonished at how different and changed she looked  
  
from the shadow of death she had been only two days  
  
before. In her white dress, a crown of white flowers  
  
made by Arwen placed on her head, she radiated  
  
happiness and beauty within the room that had seen so  
  
much sadness in the past week.  
  
"My lady," Narendil said in almost a whisper and could  
  
not help staring. She laughed softly and held her  
  
dress for him to see, slowly turning. He did not see  
  
the chain on her neck and then remembered seeing  
  
within his mind and seeing stone ring Elladan breaking  
  
it. "You do not wear the charm I made for you, my  
  
lady?" he asked.  
  
"I found the last enchantments, Narendil, and while my  
  
husband did not like the idea of the charm being with  
  
me, it is in my heart forever," she said and smiled.  
  
Narendil nodded and smiled, but then thought silently  
  
to himself that he had not put any other enchantments  
  
in the pendant except those two. The hope had lived on  
  
within her on its own, without his help, and he smiled  
  
at that. She walked over to him and linked her arm in  
  
his, then they walked out of the room and down the  
  
staircase to the outside courtyard.  
  
Legolas was now only a few hundred feet from the gates  
  
of Rivendell, which were closed but slightly ajar.  
  
Through the gates he saw a crowd of people gathering  
  
and from the stairs descended a bright vision, a  
  
blinding white light, which reached his eyes and  
  
struck him down in shock. He laid there for only a  
  
moment and then slowly sat up again, seeing that the  
  
glowing radiant beauty was none other than Jairah, in  
  
her mother's wedding dress. He sat fixed up on the  
  
ground, staring at her beauty, and her happiness. In  
  
his mind he saw the same vision she had seen, of a  
  
wedding day like this, except with him as the groom  
  
and not Elladan. It was to fulfill this vision that he  
  
got up from the ground and ran with all his might to  
  
the gates of Rivendell.  
  
As he led Jairah down the stairs to the courtyard, Narendil felt Legolas' presence in his mind. He searched around for him but did not see him. He looked at Jairah, who was looking down at all the elves gathered for her wedding, and her eyes were wide and she stopped for a moment, to take a deep breath. Narendil wondered if she too could feel the presence of Legolas.  
  
She could. It was why she had stopped, so she could scan the woods surrounding Rivendell for him. She had seen the images of the wedding to him in her head again, when he'd seen it. She did not see him anywhere and chalked it up to the hope that she had hidden in her heart. She was very good at deceiving herself, she thought. So she took another deep breath, looked at Narendil, who was searching her eyes, and smiled at him, and began to walk again.  
  
The ceremony would begin in a few minutes, so Jairah and Narendil stood at the foot of the stairs and waited. Jairah could see Elladan standing at the end of the path, and he looked handsome, and happy. She sighed, trying to block the images of her and Legolas in this same situation, knowing within a few minutes that would never be, and Legolas had made it so in the first place. Despair began to creep into her heart again, and she wondered how she could have fooled herself into thinking that Legolas would ever have come for her. The hope she'd had inside was beginning to die again, and Narendil could feel it, and he touched her arm.  
  
"No, Jairah," he whispered, knowing that Legolas was somewhere in Rivendell, he could feel him, and wondered why Jairah could not.  
  
He had not the time to tell her this, because they were being called forth. Jairah took another deep breath and began to walk forward, towards the altar, towards Elladan, who was smiling, his brother and his father at his side, and his sister Arwen standing on the other side, where Jairah would soon be standing. Elrond would perform the ceremony, and he exchanged a look with Jairah as he saw her coming down the path with Narendil, and noticed the change in her again. The light in her eyes had gone out again, and she was trying desperately to hold on to the happy illusion she had put herself in. It was very hard once she reached the end of the path and Elladan took her hands and kissed her on the cheek. She silently cursed Legolas again, and resolved to banish him from her mind once and for all. Elladan was her future now.  
  
Narendil had gone to sit down, but he felt uneasy, he felt Legolas' desperation as the elf was hiding in the trees, watching as Elrond began to speak in rapid Elvish, about the joys of marriage. He didn't know what to do, he just knew he must stop this from happening. He felt Jairah's pain, it had hit him like a bolt of lighting.  
  
Then Elrond began to speak about the joining of Jairah and his son, Elladan, and Legolas felt Jairah's heart plummet. She was holding Elladan's hands and looking picture perfect, as if she was happy, but he knew different. She was suffering inside. That was it, he had to stop this.  
  
As Elladan was about to start speaking about his love for Jairah, Legolas jumped from the trees and started to walk quickly up the path. "No!" he said. Everyone turned to look at him.  
  
He was walking quickly towards Jairah, who had turned and was looking him with horror on her face, as if she didn't believe he was there. He hadn't the time to say anything else as Elladan had dropped her hands and gone to him.  
  
"You are not welcome here, Legolas," he hissed in a low voice. "If you know what is best for you, you will turn around and leave now." His eyes flashed with anger.  
  
"I will not," Legolas said, looking past him at Jairah, who stood completely still, staring at him. "She does not belong to you, Elladan. She does not love you. I will not allow you to marry her."  
  
"You cannot stop it," Elladan said to him, a smirk on his face. "You are the coward who would not even ask for her. She does not believe that you love her anymore."  
  
Legolas looked at Elladan, his eyes getting fiery angry with those words. "I have come to reprieve my cowardice, right now. She loves me, Elladan. You cannot marry her when you know this. You know what you saw in the woods of my homeland. You know that she will never love you like that."  
  
Elladan's eyes flashed with jealousy as he remembered what he'd seen, and he turned back and looked at Jairah, who was still staring at the both of them. She still had not moved, but her skin had turned pale, her eyes wide, searching the both of them.  
  
Elladan turned again to Legolas. "I love her," he whispered, hoarse. "I will not let you take her away from me. She is mine."  
  
Legolas looked at him, angry. "She does not belong to anyone," he said, his voice getting louder. "But I love her, and it is a love so deep that you could not compete with it. And she returns it, Elladan, and you know this. It eats at your insides, it burns your soul." He knew he was treading dangerously here, for Elladan was getting more rageful by the moment.  
  
"You believe that she is yours, then? And that you can stop this from happening? Fine. We will fight for her," Elladan said, pulling his sword out, as he was wearing it for the wedding. "Whoever is left alive is entitled to her."  
  
Legolas stepped back, his eyes flashing. All he had on him was his twin blades, and his bow and arrow. He pulled out his blades then, and prepared to attack Elladan.  
  
"Stop this madness, now, the both of you!" said Elrond, but he was not heard.  
  
"Father neither of us will be able to live a content  
  
life until the other is dead!" Elladan shouted,  
  
staring at Legolas with the rage flaming in his eyes.  
  
"I do not wish to kill you, but if I must then I  
  
will," Legolas said fiercly.  
  
Arwen, in the time that Legolas had jumped from the  
  
tree and claimed he would fight to the death for  
  
Jairah, had sneaked away from everyone and ran into  
  
the house and into a separate wing of the palace. Her  
  
own lover, Aragorn son of Arathorn, had been a foster  
  
child of Elrond all his life, like Narendil, and she  
  
knew he was the only one who could stop this madness  
  
now. She furiously ran down the corridor and reached  
  
the last door and beat her hands furiously against it.  
  
Aragorn finally opened it, looking more annoyed than  
  
worried, which quickly changed when he saw her facial  
  
expression.  
  
"Aragorn, you must come, Elladan and Legolas of  
  
Mirkwood are fighting each other to the death in the  
  
courtyard," she said quickly in Elvish. He nodded and  
  
turned to grab his sword then rushed out, leading  
  
Arwen by the hand.  
  
While Arwen had been leading Aragorn out of his room  
  
of solitude and study, Jairah watched in horror as the  
  
two elves slashed at each other with their swords.  
  
Elladan with his one sword had cut Legolas only a few  
  
times, while Legolas with his twin blades had made  
  
skin contact several times. But Legolas saw Arwen and  
  
Aragorn running down the stairs of the house and  
  
turned to see what was happening, which was when  
  
Elladan pushed him down upon the ground and held the  
  
blade at his throat. It slightly pricked the skin of  
  
his neck and blood rushed down the side of Legolas's  
  
neck, and he winced in pain.  
  
As Aragorn ran over to the two dueling elves, Jairah  
  
looked around and saw Elladan's brother Elrohir next  
  
to her, with a quiver and a bow with him. Silently,  
  
she leaned back and grabbed the bow and an arrow and  
  
within seconds had positioned it at Elladan. Aragorn  
  
looked at her ready to kill Elladan and Elladan ready  
  
to kill Legolas and he was shocked beyond words.  
  
"Have you all gone mad?!" Aragorn shouted, the same  
  
words Elrond had shouted only before. "My brother is  
  
about to kill a young elf who is only here to claim  
  
his bride and his own bride is about to kill her  
  
bridegroom!" he shouted. Elladan slightly turned his  
  
head and out of the corner of his eye saw Jairah  
  
pointing the arrow at him, slightly shaking.  
  
"Kill me Jairah," Elladan said loudly with a slight  
  
crazy laugh in his voice. "I have nothing to live for  
  
anymore. I do not have you, and the only pleasure I  
  
will have in this miserable damned life I am leading  
  
is to kill your brother, and then surely you will  
  
murder me," Elladan said and before Aragorn could  
  
speak again he waved his hand. "My life is nothing!  
  
This... child at my feet, who has not lived through an  
  
entire age as I have, who has not seen life pass him  
  
by, he holds my last hope for happiness in his hands  
  
and did not do a damn thing about it. So what do I do,  
  
Aragorn? Crazy thing I did, I actually brought here to  
  
be married. Twice! And each time it ended with someone  
  
wanting to die. We are tragic and hopeless, so let us  
  
all die," Elladan said sadly, but even though the  
  
hatred in his heart was melted away, he held the sword  
  
ever strong against Legolas's throat.  
  
"Elladan, you know not what you speak. You would gain  
  
nothing if you slay Legolas," Aragorn said and Elladan  
  
shrugged, then laughed again.  
  
"And I will gain nothing if I let him live. In fact, I  
  
will lose the woman I love if I let him live. See them  
  
live in happiness all their days. So it is better to  
  
let him die, and I will not have to suffer in their  
  
ecstasy," Elladan replied.  
  
A loud half scream, half sob was heard and Jairah  
  
simply dropped the bow and arrow at her feet and fell  
  
to her knees, staring at Legolas who was lying on the  
  
ground and had not spoken a single word since he had  
  
fallen to the ground. "I ask of you, why must anyone  
  
die? Don't you see I love that elf at your blade with  
  
every fiber of my being and I was willing to kill  
  
another elf, you Elladan, my dear friend, to prove  
  
that?" she asked and she wiped the tears from her  
  
cheeks with her sleeves. "For the sake of all that is  
  
good and sacred in this world, I beg of you, Elladan  
  
son of Elrond, let him live and let us love each other  
  
without fearing your blade any longer," she said  
  
firmly and looked up at Elladan, who had not turned to  
  
face her.  
  
Aragorn walked over to Elladan, who had not moved  
  
since Jairah spoke, and put his hand on the hilt of  
  
the sword and moved it away from Legolas's throat.  
  
"Brother, let her go, and let your heart be free from  
  
her," Aragorn said softly and Elladan's hand loosed  
  
from the grip of the blade and Aragorn took the sword  
  
and tossed it in the air where Narendil caught it.  
  
Legolas, though he was free from the blade, did not  
  
move from the ground, except when Elladan glanced at  
  
him, his eyes softened from the hate he felt for him.  
  
"You are a good fighter, Legolas of Mirkwood, let us  
  
hope we may spar one day under much different  
  
circumstances," Elladan said and walked away to treat  
  
his wounds. When Elladan was a good distance away,  
  
Legolas got up to his feet and walked to where Jairah  
  
was, dropping to his knees and crying with her,  
  
cradling her body. They did not speak through voices  
  
or through their minds, but their hearts opened to  
  
each other once more and their tears met on the  
  
ground, binding them more closely than ever since now  
  
they had survived torment in order to be with each  
  
other once more.  
  
Legolas embraced her tightly and they still sat on the  
  
ground, and he whispered quietly in her ear, "Marry  
  
me. I will ask Thranduil for his blessing, and if he  
  
does not give it, it does not matter to me. I cannot  
  
live without you, and no one will ever stop me from  
  
having you, not my father, not any son of Elrond or  
  
anyone else. All I want is you." Jairah slightly  
  
nodded her head and she wiped her tears on his  
  
shoulder, then silently told him, 'I will be yours,  
  
and only yours.'  
  
"I suppose this will end up sounding terribly rude,"  
  
Lord Elrond said as he stood up from the bench where  
  
he sat with Elrohir and Aragorn and glanced at the two  
  
sitting at the entrance to Rivendell, "but I was  
  
wondering if you plan on rising from that spot during  
  
this age or not. Staying as my guests here for a few  
  
days or so since none of my sons wish to slay you  
  
through with a sword anymore," Elrond said.  
  
"We would love to, really, but I need to return to  
  
Mirkwood," Jairah said as she stood up and helped  
  
Legolas stand.  
  
"It will be difficult returning without a horse,"  
  
Legolas said and sighed.  
  
"Without a horse?" she asked.  
  
"My horse disappeared on the eastern base of the Misty  
  
Mountains three days ago, I would have arrived sooner  
  
had the damn horse not disappeared," Legolas replied.  
  
"Is your horse the grey one? A white diamond on its  
  
forehead?" Elrohir asked.  
  
"Yes. Have you seen it?" Legolas asked.  
  
"Indeed I have. It arrived here a few nights ago  
  
without a rider and has been in the stables. What  
  
would cause it to leave its rider abandoned... oh,"  
  
Elrohir said and did not bother finishing his  
  
statement since they all knew how the horse had been  
  
led away and abandoned Legolas. Elrond sighed and  
  
closed his eyes, and the horse soon coming from the  
  
stables nearby, ready to ride. At first it did not  
  
respond to Legolas, but once Elrond opened his eyes  
  
once more, the horse greeted both Legolas and Jairah  
  
with a friendly nuzzle.  
  
"My children here know too much for their own good,"  
  
Elrond said. "Stay at least for the night so you may  
  
pass the Misty Mountains during the daylight hours,"  
  
he said afterwards. Night was beginning to fall and  
  
the stars were filling the darkness that overtook the  
  
sky.  
  
"Well... it is late..." Legolas said and nodded. "We  
  
will stay, thank you again Lord Elrond," he said and  
  
bowed before him.  
  
* * * * *  
  
At the meal that night, Elladan and Legolas talked of  
  
fighting techniques among themselves as if nothing had  
  
happened, as if two hours ago they were not fighting  
  
to the death outside the room where they now sat.  
  
Jairah and Narendil talked of the new creations and  
  
enchantments he was working on for his new jewels,  
  
while Arwen and the Elfstone had regained their title  
  
as the royal couple of Rivendell, gazing at each other  
  
deeply, oblivious to all others. Lord Elrond soon drew  
  
his daughter out of the romantic staring contest and  
  
began to talk to her, leaving Aragorn without a  
  
staring partner, much to his great disappointment.  
  
After their dinner and some conversation, Jairah and  
  
Legolas went up to the room where Jairah had stayed  
  
for the past week or so and she packed her bags to  
  
leave first thing in the morning. There, Legolas saw  
  
what Elladan had done to the chain where the pendant  
  
had hung and was saddened, as was she.  
  
"It is a shame, but perhaps Narendil may be able to  
  
fix it," she said. She held the Eternity charm and  
  
Legolas held the chain, intending on seeing if he  
  
could repair it himself without bothering Narendil.  
  
Suddenly, on its own, the links in the chain that were  
  
broken repaired themselves and the missing ones  
  
regrew, becoming whole again. The rising moonlight  
  
filtered through the room and hit the pendant, sending  
  
into both their minds the present moment, sitting  
  
together, linked eternally. They sat there in the  
  
moonlight, not wanting the moment to end, until  
  
Legolas kissed her and made it complete.  
  
"I was lucky you came," Jairah said, after they'd released eachother, and she reached up and stroked his cheek. "Narendil said that I was dying."  
  
"I felt it," Legolas said. "And how could I not? My cowardice has made us suffer far too long. Now it will be all mended." He kissed her cheek, and she smiled at him.  
  
"Though, I do think that I will not be wanting to have any more weddings in the near future," she said, looking at him. "This has been enough for me." She glanced at the dress she wore, still clothed in her mothers wedding dress, and it was stained with Legolas' blood, from when they'd embraced after his fight with Elladan.  
  
Legolas looked at her, his eyes with a little bit of fear in them. "You do not want to marry me?" He reached out and touched her hair.  
  
She smiled at him again. "Yes, I do." She said. "But not immediately, and perhaps not even in a few years time."  
  
Legolas relaxed. He understood. She wanted her freedom. It had been taken from her for a short period of time, and she had not liked that. He was willing to let her be as free as she wanted, as long as her heart belonged to him.  
  
"And that it does," she said, interrupting his thoughts. "And I will tell your father that when we return to Mirkwood."  
  
He smiled at her boldness. This was the spirit he loved in her. He turned her around and fixed the necklace around her neck again, and then pulled her down to lay with him on the bed, both of them able to rest for the first time in many days.  
  
***  
  
In the morning, they stood at the gates of Rivendell with their horses, and said goodbye to the family of Elrond. Jairah kissed each of them in turn, and embraced Elladan, who had a sad expression on his face.  
  
"In giving me my freedom, Elladan, you have given me the world. I will not forget that, nor that you loved me. In this you have proven it. I thank you." She kissed his cheek, and he held her hand as she did so.  
  
"May time heal your broken heart, and bring you a love that can love you how I could not." She whispered as she drew away from him. He kissed her hand, then let her go. She walked back to Legolas, and smiled at him, then jumped up on her horse.  
  
Legolas embraced Narendil. "Thank you, my friend. For all you have done for me, and my love. Let us meet again, and soon." Narendil smiled at Legolas as he patted him on the shoulder. "I would like that, Master Elf." He said, and then Legolas went and mounted his horse as well. They turned to Elrond.  
  
"Goodbye, children of Mirkwood," said Elrond. "I wish you much luck with your father when you return to him. May your journey be swift and safe."  
  
Legolas and Jairah waved and then turned, and both took off at breakneck speed out of Rivendell, both eager for the familiarity of their home.  
  
They did not stop once on the journey from Rivendell to Mirkwood. Jairah's horse was quite clever, and she sometimes was far ahead of Legolas when on their journey, even more eager to be home than he.  
  
They arrived at the gates to Mirkwood exactly one day after they'd left Rivendell, late in the morning. Jairah arrived before Legolas and leapt off her horse, and it sped towards the pastures on her command. She sighed, and closed her eyes and smelled the air. She was home, and she was free. No matter how much she might have loved Rivendell, she could not have lived there. She loved these woods.  
  
Legolas came in after her, and laughed at her as he jumped off of his own horse. "Did you miss it here?" he asked, knowing full well that she did. She looked at him, her eyes glinting, then went and jumped into his arms; he lifted her off the ground and smiled at her.  
  
"Of course," she said, leaning down to kiss him. "I missed what was here. I missed you."  
  
Out of breath and laughing, they went into the castle, holding hands, Legolas kissing Jairah's ear on the way.  
  
Not were they in the foyer of the great castle five seconds, when they heard Thranduil's voice booming. "Children! Come before me, immediately!" they heard, coming from his study.  
  
They looked at eachother, their eyes wide, and the passion in their hearts quelled for just a moment. Fear struck both of them, as they gingerly walked to the study, where Thranduil was sitting behind his desk, looking at both of them expectantly.  
  
They went and stood on the other side of the desk from him, both their eyes cast down, and they had released their hands from one another. Jairah felt her heart turn to ice under Thranduil's usually kind stare. Now he looked very, very troubled and upset.  
  
"Jairah," he said, looking at her first. "I see you have returned to us, and you are not with your husband. Might I ask why?"  
  
Jairah looked up at him, but she could not speak. Her throat had closed off and she was not breathing in her fear.  
  
"Please, Father," Legolas spoke up, but Thranduil held his hand up for him to be silent.  
  
"I know what has happened in Rivendell, my children. I know that Jairah is not married to Lord Elrond's son, as I expected her to be. And though I have not received all the details, am I to expect that Elladan has just had a change of heart, and did not want to marry you, Jairah?"  
  
Jairah shook her head. "No, my lord," she said. "I did not want to marry him." She looked at him, and then looked at the floor again, afraid.  
  
Thranduil turned his gaze on Legolas. "And you knew this? And went to free her?" He asked his son. "I have heard that you and Elladan fought, is this true?"  
  
Legolas nodded.  
  
Thranduil shook his head, and again looked at Jairah. "You have given up a respectable marriage, Jairah. Because of the antics of you and my son, I will have a hard time finding you another respectable husband."  
  
"Please, my lord, I do not wish for another husband. I only wish for your son." She said, looking at him fearfully.  
  
Thranduil looked at her, then at Legolas. "Oh yes?" he asked, giving them both confused looks.  
  
"I have asked Jairah to marry me, Father." Legolas said, preparing for his father's tirade. "I love her. And she loves me."  
  
Thranduil looked at him as if he was mad. "But she is your sister…." He said, trailing off, looking at the both of them.  
  
"No, my lord, I am not." Jairah said. "We are not related by blood, nor by birth, nor by anything except for the fact that you have raised me like a daughter. I have never thought of Legolas as my brother, nor have I loved him like one. He was gone for many years. Upon his return, I fell in love with him. I wish to spend my eternity with him, my lord, if you would allow it."  
  
Legolas reached over and took Jairah's hand. "Father, we are meant to be together. I knew the instant I laid eyes on her when I returned home from my long journey, that I would never be able to give my heart to another elf as long as I lived."  
  
Thranduil looked overwhelmed by this information. They were his children, they were not supposed to fall in love. But as he looked at them, looking at him with pleading in their eyes, and then watched as they glanced at eachother, love shining in their eyes, his heart was eased.  
  
"You must forgive me," Thranduil said, as he sighed and leaned back in his chair. "I have looked upon you as my daughter for so long, Jairah, and I still do. It is very odd to me, this arrangement. It will take some getting used to.." he smiled at them, as they exchanged an excited look. "When will you two be married?" he said, now feeling proud.  
  
Jairah's smile faded, as she looked at Thranduil. He would want them to be married soon, and she did not want that. She looked at Legolas, and he glanced at her and then looked at his father.  
  
"Not for awhile, Father. We wish to have a long betrothal, possibly travel. There is no need for formalities just yet." He looked at his father again, hoping that he would understand.  
  
Thranduil smiled at them, and then gave them a serious look. "Before you two are to take the Throne of Mirkwood, which is rightfully yours by birth in the first place, and before I leave to go to Aman, you two will be married. That is all I ask. I give my blessing otherwise."  
  
They both nodded fiercely, before embracing eachother, Legolas kissing Jairah passionately, right in front of his father. Thranduil laughed at them as they broke apart, their foreheads pressed together, and they smiled at eachother, and then at him.  
  
"One more thing," he said to them, as they looked at him, their cheeks touching. "You will stay here, for awhile, before you go off on any more adventures? I did so miss having both of you here while you were gone."  
  
They both nodded again, and then Thranduil opened his arms to them, and they went and embraced him, happy at last.  
  
That night, while walking through the woods, Jairah turned to Legolas, smiling sweetly, and leaned up and kissed him. "Give me your hand," she said, breathing into his ear. He obliged.  
  
In one fast motion, Jairah had taken her dagger, and cut his hand open. He looked at her, his eyes hazy and confused, and watched as she cut her own hand open, and clasped the two wounds together.  
  
"Jairah, what.." he asked, but she put a finger to his lips, and stared him in the eyes, her eyes shining at him. He felt a pulling on his own hand, a tingling.  
  
After a few moments, she released his hand, and looked down. The wounds were gone. She smiled up at him, and kissed his hand.  
  
"Narendil told me of a binding spell, an old one, that was used by some of the first elves," she explained. "Our blood has mixed. We are now one in the same." She leaned up and kissed him. "One in the very same. Where you go, I will go. When you die, if that is to happen, I shall die. And nothing in this world can break us apart again."  
  
Then she took his hand again, and led him back to the castle, where they now shared a room, to begin their life together. 


End file.
